Tossrock wrote:
krylex wrote:
That's death penalty programs that are inefficiently ran and don't adequately represent properly instituted programs.
That also doesn't account for appeal plans and things like that for people who aren't on death row. A lifetime of appeals cost much more than a few years. Get some better data than that, and we'll talk.
Also, a great deal of those numbers are out of date. If the death penalty in Texas was still the same as in 1988, it would have been abolished. We don't have one of the best economies in the country by running a shoddy system (even though parts are shoddy as hell).
Those are also costs of trials for capital cases and not the punishment itself. If they had more regulation on the cases, or perhaps less in certain situations, the cost would be less.
Um, did you read all the articles linked from my original link? Many of them DO take into account a life time of appeals. And much of the data is "out of date"? 2005, 2004, 2003, 2001, 2002, 1993, 2000, 2003, 1988 and 1992 are the dates of the various studies and articles linked.
I have this feeling you scrolled right to the bottom.
Yes I did read through all of it. With the exception of a few external links, just about all of the information is coming from the orginization itself.
Like I said, there are a few cases that the site is correct, like New Jersey who hasn't actually executed anyone, but the rest of the site seems more like careful manipulation of the numbers, and any site that is staunchly anti-death penalty, as that site clearly is (which I gathered from reading other parts of the site) is going to make sure their case looks like it is the best.
Non-partial sources that have a broader scope than a few defunct systems would be a much better source, and I haven't found any non-partial sources coming from either side, so I must use logic to make my decisions, and from that I conclude:
#1 40-80 years in prison includes: (Assuming average lifetime of an inmate is 40-80 years)
Appeals all the way to the supreme court are available.
40-80 years of Food and shelter
40-80 years of Guard costs
40-80 years of utility costs (including electicity, water, sewage, gas [in some places I'm sure])
40-80 years of healthcare (may not be the best, but they won't let anyone sit there and die)
#2 Now, with the death penalty:
Appeals all the way to the supreme court are available.
10-20 years of food and shelter
10-20 years of Guard costs
10-20 years of utilities
10-20 years of healthcare
1 execution (lethal injections themselves aren't that expensive)
Now, in a decently run system, how could #2 possibly cost more than #1?