The High Cost of Death

Put to Death versus Condemned to Die in Prison

When I read that it costs more to execute a prisoner than to sentence that same prisoner to life without parole (LWOP), I thought, “what, how could that be?”

There are sufficient arguments against the death penalty and for me leaving the door open as opposed to executing an innocent person is argument enough. But to be honest I have also believed that execution had to be cheaper than keeping an inmate behind bars for years and decades.

The ACLU in a published article The Truth About Life Without Parole: Condemned to Die in Prison brings up some interesting points and is worth reading.

The article stated that in the State of California it costs taxpayers an additional $90,000 per prisoner per year over housing them with the general prison population.

I don’t agree with all of the arguments in the ACLU article but I found it interesting to read.

More than half of all executions carried out in the U.S. stem from cases in just two percent of counties, yet taxpayers nationwide have shouldered the estimated $25 billion cost of death row sentences since 1973, a new study found. ~ Source: Majority of US executions stem from 2 percent of counties

California, Texas, Oklahoma and Florida are states where criminal offenders have a disproportionate chance of ending up on death row.

Crime may not pay for the criminals but the taxpayers certainly end up paying for the crimes.