The Australian wrote:
SEVERAL US states are considering abolishing the death penalty as the execution process proves too expensive amid tough financial times.
Death penalty laws remain on the books of 36 of the 50 US states, and capital punishment is supported by about two-thirds of the American public.
But across the nation, states as diverse and far-flung as Montana, Kansas, New Mexico and Maryland are among those actively considering abolishing capital punishment in a bid to overcome ballooning budget shortfalls.
The Australian wrote:
Carrying out the death penalty can leave a state footing a bill that is 10 times higher than for an inmate serving life imprisonment.
On top of a complex and lengthy process, appeals can last years and the prisoners are often represented by lawyers paid by the state.
Guarding death rows and death chambers are also costly items on a state's budget.
This is something I didnt expect as a result of the Fiancial Crisis. Of all the moral and ethical considerations of the death penalty, it is finally ended by the GFC.The Australian wrote:
Activists have calculated that in Kansas the cost of executing a prisoner is 70 per cent higher than keeping someone in prison. The bill for a death row inmate tops $US1.26 million, while for someone serving life imprisonment costs $US740,000 dollars, according to the Death Penalty Information Centre.
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