Death Penalty Costs California over $300M per Execution? (Los Angeles, Montclair: crimes, lawyers)

[18Montclair]

Since 1978 California and the US government have together spent some $4bn on the state's death row, yet only 13 prisoners have been executed – an average of $308m for each one. The study, first reported by the Los Angeles Times, warns that the total figure will rise to about $9bn by 2030.

Under California's peculiar penchant for referendums, the death penalty can only be reformed or revoked by voters themselves. Since 1978 voters have consistently opted to widen the capital punishment net so that the state now has the most sweeping laws in the country, with some 39 eligible crimes.

Yet in practice, the legal process has become so cumbersome, and the dearth of expert death penalty lawyers so extreme, that executions happen rarely if at all. Since 2006 there have been no executions as the state's use of lethal injections has been mired in legal challenges.
MOD CUT

Death penalty costs California more than $300m per execution | World news | The Guardian

The amount we spend on corrections is embarrassing.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Executing criminals is cheap. Spending decades enriching lawyers is not.

[buffalobrandon]

Sounds like a good argument against capital punishment. Besides, seems like a better punishment to just lock these guys up in complete dark isolation anyways "Shawshank" style.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by buffalobrandon

Besides, seems like a better punishment to just lock these guys up in complete dark isolation anyways "Shawshank" style.

Except we can't legally do that, thanks to the same people that drive up the cost of execution.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Executing criminals is cheap. Spending decades enriching lawyers is not.

The appeals process is necessary though, innocent people have been put on death row before.

[silverkris]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Except we can't legally do that, thanks to the same people that drive up the cost of execution.

It's more complicated than that.

Trials that are for capital crimes cost more to put on, they take longer to adjudicate and process.

The appeals process is, of course, long, - but as sav858 mentions, it's needed.

I think in some ways there's a bit of political grandstanding for capital punishment - we have a public that feeds off of fear of crime, and public officials who feed off that to "git tough on crime."

[esmith143]

The problem is that only 13 prisoners have been executed since 1978 (less than one person/year), even though California has the most people on death row of all states - around 700. I'm all for the appeals process, but it does not justify the effective execution rate. At the present rate, 9 out of 10 CA death row prisoners can expect to die of old age in prison rather than be executed for their crimes.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

The amount we spend on corrections is embarrassing.

It is easy to figure that one out: it is called lawyers and appeals. The cost of the execution is just a drop in the bucket. Stop the stupid extentions and appeals; one appeal, sure, if there is a real reason, after that pull the plug.

Nita

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by sav858

The appeals process is necessary though, innocent people have been put on death row before.

not probably in years, not with DNA testing etc. Of course if there is a reason for an appeal, but normally people are not executed that are not guilty. What about the person who gets out of prison and kills again? There is absolutely no way to assure a person will not find a way out, either by legal method or escape.

Nita

[user_id]

Originally Posted by nmnita

n What about the person who gets out of prison and kills again? There is absolutely no way to assure a person will not find a way out, either by legal method or escape.

Who is talking about letting them out? How many death row inmates have escaped?