No, the death penalty is not cheaper than life imprisonment

The age-old debate on capital punishment has once again resurfaced as lawmakers seek to address one of the most morally contentious issues plaguing governments at present. While some may argue that putting someone to death would be less costly for the state than keeping them incarcerated for life, research suggests otherwise.

In recent years, the United States has witnessed two state legislatures taking opposing decisions on the issue of the death penalty. While Washington has banned capital punishment following a lengthy period of moratorium, Florida has decided to mandate that juries only need to attain 8 to 4 votes in favor of the death penalty, instead of a unanimous verdict.

The crux of the matter now boils down to costs. Several agencies and academic researchers have delved into the subject of costs associated with the death penalty. The result? Research has unequivocally shown that capital punishment costs states significantly more than life sentences.

Over the past five decades, the United States has recorded more than 9,700 death sentences. Shockingly, only 16 of these sentences were carried out by the federal government while the remaining were by individual states. Research and studies conducted over the past few years all point to the same outcome: the cost of the death penalty is inherently higher for governments than life imprisonment.

A report commissioned by the United States Judiciary Conference, which oversees the federal courts, discovered that the costs of pursuing a death sentence skyrocket as soon as federal prosecutors decide to pursue it. As per the report, “The average cost of a case, in which the Attorney General authorized the death penalty to be sought, was nearly eight times the cost of a case that was eligible for capital charges”, but in which the death penalty was not authorized.

One of the most comprehensive studies was undertaken in North Carolina by Professor Philip Cook of Duke University. He analyzed 11 executions in the state from 2005-2006 and estimated that the state would have saved $21,642,414 if it had not used the death penalty. North Carolina was spending around $2 million more per person than imprisoning them for life.

The staggering cost of the death penalty can be traced to three areas: trial, imprisonment, and appeals. The government’s costs start to escalate the moment the death penalty comes into the picture. Defendants being sentenced to death are entitled to additional constitutional protections, and their trials are inherently complex and lengthier than in regular homicide cases. Defendants receive two lawyers instead of just one, costing nearly ten times more than non-capital homicide cases.

Moreover, special jurors need to be selected to issue a death sentence, which proves more expensive as the trial takes significantly longer. On average, capital trials last four times longer than non-capital trials, using court resources, often from small counties.

Lastly, convicts on death row are placed under maximum-security confinement that costs approximately the same as life-sentenced prisoners. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for death row inmates to die of natural causes before their execution can be carried out.

Therefore, it is no wonder that the death penalty turns out to be significantly more expensive for the state. While executing someone may seem like the cheaper option for embracing capital punishment, research has debunked this theory. Instead, it leads to larger and more complex trials that cost the government a fortune.

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