Costs: Death Penalty vs. Life Without Parole

[bradly1101]

We succeeded in making the death penalty less cruel by going from hanging, to electricity, to gas and then to lethal injection.

But we started getting cruel again.

 

[Brainonska511]

I never understood why executions have to be so expensive, there's definitly someone at the top lining their pockets and profiting from them, which is quite sickening.

I have mixed feelings about death penalty, but if it's going to be done, at least cut out all the BS that makes it expensive for nothing.

Where do you get the idea that someone is lining his pockets? Something being expensive does not automatically mean there is graft.

It costs so much because people get several chances for appeals (despite the hurdles that the government (at both Federal and State legislatures and court rulings) has imposed), in which there are associated costs. I'd rather not use the power of the state to put an innocent person who was railroaded to death. In fact, I'd rather just not use the power of the state to put someone to death in the first place.

 

[Thebobo]

OP the most un-christian christian i know.

 

[soulcougher73]

You realize that this is EXACTLY the kind of logic that gets people on death row in the first place?

But the difference is ones a murder and one is justice. So im ok with that.

 

[zinfamous]

I'm a believer in the death penalty, but the argument supporting it or opposing it based on cost really is offensive given that we're talking about ending someone's life. Can you imagine how people would react if cost was among the talking points when we discuss abortion? Well, putting that kid through foster care is 100x as expensive....

Either the death pentlty is justifiable or it is not - how much it costs should not be an argument made by either side as it really cheapens the discussion.

also, you save in the fact that less potential criminals are born... :whiste:


anyhoo, I agree that it's a rather offensive argument, but I still make it, because one is often dealing with tunnel-visioned conservative types that don't really understand anything other than "gub'mint takes mah money!" ...so the argument has a space in the discussion.

 

[zinfamous]

I never understood why executions have to be so expensive, there's definitly someone at the top lining their pockets and profiting from them, which is quite sickening.

I have mixed feelings about death penalty, but if it's going to be done, at least cut out all the BS that makes it expensive for nothing.

You know who didn't have mixed feelings about the death penalty?

Jesus.

 

[alzan]

In strictly financial terms it's a no brainer: death penalty costs less.

In societal spiritual terms: death penalty costs more

In deterrence terms, that's where it gets gray: we've had the death penalty in 50% to 95% of the worlds countries since recorded history began and for a long time before that. Considering that murder still goes on in countries (states/regions) with or without the death penalty it really doesn't seem like much of a deterrent to serial killers, murderers, etc.

OTOH every murderer who is executed is one less person to commit murder.

I think we'd be better off as a society without the death penalty but I don't have a workable solution for the exorbitant (financial) cost of life without parole.

 

[Pray To Jesus]

In strictly financial terms it's a no brainer: death penalty costs less.

In societal spiritual terms: death penalty costs more

In deterrence terms, that's where it gets gray: we've had the death penalty in 50% to 95% of the worlds countries since recorded history began and for a long time before that. Considering that murder still goes on in countries (states/regions) with or without the death penalty it really doesn't seem like much of a deterrent to serial killers, murderers, etc.

OTOH every murderer who is executed is one less person to commit murder.

I think we'd be better off as a society without the death penalty but I don't have a workable solution for the exorbitant (financial) cost of life without parole.

Recent studies says that there is a deterrence effect. The number varies by study but estimates are that every execution = 5 to 10 less murders.

It's a fact that criminals are really afraid of getting the death penalty. Many convicted criminals confess that during the commission of their crime they do think about that and modify their behaviors from murder to not murder.

 

[Pray To Jesus]

OP the most un-christian christian i know.

You are very ignorant about Christianity to say that.

 

[Brainonska511]

Recent studies says that there is a deterrence effect. The number varies by study but estimates are that every execution = 5 to 10 less murders.

Care to link to these nebulous studies?

 

[FallenHero]

Care to link to these nebulous studies?

Seriously. Link or no. Last I read there was zero deterrence effect of death penalty vs life.

 

[Brainonska511]

Seriously. Link or no. Last I read there was zero deterrence effect of death penalty vs life.

Exactly why I'd want to see his link from credible sources. Everything I've ever seen has shown that there is no deterrence effect from having the death penalty. I highly doubt this troll has credible sources to provide.