the price we pay...

[inquiering student]

i have a debate comming up in my public speaking course and my team is pro death penalty. How ever in all my searching I can"t find out how much(on avrage) it costs to keep these people in jail for up to the 10-12 years. Our taxes or country defficite? If someone could possibly fill me in it would be apperacated...

[inquiering student]

i have a debate comming up in my public speaking course and my team is pro death penalty. How ever in all my searching I can"t find out how much(on avrage) it costs to keep these people in jail for up to the 10-12 years. Our taxes or country defficite? If someone could possibly fill me in it would be apperacated...

[SkyLoom]

inquiering said:

i have a debate comming up in my public speaking course and my team is pro death penalty. How ever in all my searching I can"t find out how much(on avrage) it costs to keep these people in jail for up to the 10-12 years. Our taxes or country defficite? If someone could possibly fill me in it would be apperacated...

There is good information at this site: www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/

Look under "Issues" at the "Costs" heading and go from there.

[SkyLoom]

Also, at the "Death Penalty Quiz" section, it says that the cost to house an inmate on death row is about $20,000. per year.

[thelittleun]

The average cost of an execution in Florida is about $2,000,000 but in California is works out to over $15,000,000 per execution.

[blakely]

thelittleun said:

The average cost of an execution in Florida is about $2,000,000 but in California is works out to over $15,000,000 per execution.

This is a lie.

[ltdc]

blakely said:

thelittleun said:

The average cost of an execution in Florida is about $2,000,000 but in California is works out to over $15,000,000 per execution.

This is a lie.

I know, it's embarrassing isn't it? makes you wonder who gets these people dressed in the morning?

[cynthiak]

skyloom said:

Also, at the "Death Penalty Quiz" section, it says that the cost to house an inmate on death row is about $20,000. per year.

$20,000 a year is for their medical claims.

[anti]

The average cost of an execution in Florida is about $2,000,000 but in California is works out to over $15,000,000 per execution.

This is a lie.

I know, it's embarrassing isn't it? makes you wonder who gets these people dressed in the morning?

Wrong, dear pro friends. Both figures are certainly higher - California, for example:

According to state and federal records obtained by The Times, maintaining the California death penalty system costs taxpayers more than $114 million a year beyond the cost of simply keeping the convicts locked up for life and not counting the millions more in court costs needed to prosecute capital cases and hold post-conviction hearings in state and federal courts.

With 11 executions spread over 27 years, on a per-execution basis, California and federal taxpayers have paid more than a quarter of a billion dollars for each life taken at state hands.

"Death Row Often Means a Long Life", Los Angeles Times, March 6, 2005.

[blakely]

The people who put this article together should be ashamed of themselves. This article is pathetic even when judged according to the low, low standards of the L.A. Times.

patterico.com/2005/03/06/2726/la-times-exaggerates-cost-of-death-penalty-in-california/

Reporter's response to article and author's rebuttal:

patterico.com/2005/03/08/2733/exchange-with-la-times-reporter-about-death-penalty-article/

See what happens when you sleep duing math class, inquiering student? You grow up to be reporters for the LAT or ANTI.

[chazz]

OK Pros post your figures.

I supose the discrepencies come up when you change what you are comparing the costs of.

I suppose the best comparision is both methods:

DP All Murders (Avg Cost) - from start of investigation through to death (FOR CRIMES RESULTING IN A SENTENCE, inclusing prosection costs, defences costs, accomodation/prison costs, court costs, investigation, etc, medical insurace for prisoner)

NON-DP All Murders (Avg Cost) - from start of investigation through to death of prisoner who is COMPLETE Discharge from prison/parole (FOR CRIMES RESULTING IN A SENTENCE, inclusing prosection costs, defences costs, accomodation/prison costs, court costs, investigation, etc, medical insurace for prisoner)

Chazz

[josephdphillips]

chazz said:

OK Pros post your figures.

The economic argument has already been made here by antis, and has failed several times. If the death penalty were cheaper, you'd still oppose it, so why argue its cost?

[chazz]

josephdphillips said:

chazz said:

OK Pros post your figures.

The economic argument has already been made here by antis, and has failed several times. If the death penalty were cheaper, you'd still oppose it, so why argue its cost?

I'm not arguing its costs.

I would just like to know what the PROs claim that their costs are.

Chazz

[anti]

The economic argument has already been made here by antis, and has failed several times.

It has failed? How so? There are many studies that support anti point of view, but I've yet to see a study that comes the the conclusion the DP is cheaper.

If the death penalty were cheaper, you'd still oppose it,

Indeed.

so why argue its cost?

Because some pros claim that state killing is "cost-effective" compared to alternatives. Available evidence says otherwise. In case there are people out their who base their DP support on economic arguments, they should know they probably err.

[anna_marek]

anti said:

The economic argument has already been made here by antis, and has failed several times.

It has failed? How so? There are many studies that support anti point of view, but I've yet to see a study that comes the the conclusion the DP is cheaper.


Indeed.

so why argue its cost?

Because some pros claim that state killing is "cost-effective" compared to alternatives. Available evidence says otherwise. In case there are people out their who base their DP support on economic arguments, they should know they probably err.

ANTI! When murderers murder again the price can't be measured economically!

Expose Anti's misleading posts! BLOW THE WHISTLE!!
Here's just one example!
prodp.proboards47.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=1133372100&page=2
ANTI's like a "snake oil salesman". He sells a bogus product!!

[myamber20]

ltdc said:

blakely said:

This is a lie.

I know, it's embarrassing isn't it? makes you wonder who gets these people dressed in the morning?

I will voluntary my american duties and do it for FREE!!!

[research1]

are there any costs that are cheaper for the death penalty then life in prison?

[ltdc]

research1 said:

are there any costs that are cheaper for the death penalty then life in prison?

we don't have to post guards at cemetaries