Cutting Costs

Most people are for the death penalty because it costs less than feeding and housing a prisoner for the rest of their lifetime.  On the contrary, it actually costs twice as much to execute someone than to imprison them for life.  According to The Death Penalty by Hayley R. Mitchell, the average cost to execute a single person in Florida is $3.2 million.  The estimated cost of life without parole can range from $750,000 to $1.1 million, which is substantially less.

Why is it so expensive to execute someone?  Capital trials must be conducted thoroughly and are more complex and time-consuming.  Capital trial investigations also take three to five times longer than regular investigations, which adds the cost of experts such as forensic scientists and medical personnel.  Because of the large work load, capital cases usually require two attorneys and many investigators for both the prosecution and defense.  Not all defendants in capital trials are sentenced to death-- many are sentenced to life in prison or are acquitted.  The United States is in tremendous debt and most believe that the death penalty can relieve some of the unnecessary costs.  In all actuality, abolishing the death penalty would be more beneficial.