Do executions save money?
Lawyers don’t come cheap. A death penalty trial normally costs four to six times more than one involving a life sentence. Studies in various states show proceedings to bring about an execution cost several million dollars– many times the cost of keeping someone in prison for life. The enormous costs of the death penalty to the criminal justice system are leading many who have supported capital punishment to reconsider. THE DEATH PENALTY — TO WHAT END? When people reject life imprisonment without the possibility of parole as an alternative to the death penalty, it appears that what they want is more than protection; they want vengeance. But vengeance does not heal; it only widens the circle of violence and tragedy, drawing in the offender’s family and friends. ALTERNATIVES We must disavow the illusion that enforcing the death penalty is an answer to violent crime. As a people, we need to prevent violence by strengthening families, limiting youth access to guns, delivering mental healt
