Ending death penalty could save US millions: study

AFP / Yahoo News ^ | Oct 20, 2009 | by Lucile Malandain

[backtothestreets]

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Even when executions are not carried out, the death penalty costs US states hundreds of millions of dollars a year, depleting budgets in the midst of economic crisis, a study released Tuesday found.

"It is doubtful in today's economic climate that any legislature would introduce the death penalty if faced with the reality that each execution would cost taxpayers 25 million dollars, or that the state might spend more than 100 million dollars over several years and produce few or no executions," argued Richard Dieter, director of the Death Penalty Information Center and the report's author.

"Surely there are more pressing needs deserving funding," he wrote, noting that execution was rated among the least effective crime deterrents.

[Zhang Fei]

Yet another unbiased article from AP that only cites one side of an argument.

[Ouderkirk]

Sure executions are expensive....after 20+ years of appeals, and such.

The execution itself may only cost a few thousand dollars to pay the time for the personnel present.

Limit the appeals to one appeal after conviction. If your rights weren’t violated then the execution should proceed the next day unless that day is Sunday, in which case it will proceed on Monday.

But after Tookie Williams sits in jail for 23 years (longer than his victim(s) were alive in total) before he’s executed of course it’s expensive. Fifty zillion appeals on every idiotic grounds...screw that.

[Ouderkirk]

MARK MY WORDS....OBAMA WILL EVENTUALLY RELEASE CHARLES MANSON!

I know you're right....it's a frightening prospect, but Charlie will not die in jail like he should.

Maybe we can put Roman Polanski in as Charlie's cellmate.

[Zhang Fei]

The reason so many death sentences are overturned is because of liberal judges in blue states. Red state judges (many of whom are elected) uphold death sentences 90% of the time. The way to get around this problem is for blue states to elect their judges. Then the tendency of liberal judges to impose their anti-death penalty views on a powerless population will recede, since these would-be dictators-for-life can be tossed out on their rear ends by the voters in the next electoral cycle.

[supercat]

Do the extra appeals in death-penalty cases cause any innocent people to be exonerated? If so, why not apply them also to people who are sentenced to lengthy or lifetime prison terms? And if not, why bother with them at all?

Wrongful convictions are a problem, to be sure, but someone who dies in prison after rotting there 30 years has his life destroyed just as effectively as someone who is executed a year after conviction. Nothing is done about government officials who knowingly withhold evidence or otherwise act to unjustly convict innocent people. I understand that eliminating the near absolute immunity such people enjoy would open the door to many frivolous lawsuits, but I think it’s pretty clear that grants of absolute immunity often corrupt absolutely.

[dalereed]

Have all executions within 30 days of sentencing would save a whole lot more!

[mono]

I dont mind paying, just speed up the appeals process. There is just no way appeals should take 10 to 15 years. Years ago, even in the liberal bastion of NY, executions took place in 6 weeks to 2 months!

[traditional1]

"We need to put in a death penalty fast-track."

I agree...there's no reason to have 20+ years of Appeals (except to line Lawyers' pockets).

BUT, you will incur the rath of those who claim that innocent will be executed if thorough investigations/appeals are not exhausted.

[traditional1]

rath=wrath

[edcoil]

thorough investigations are suppose to be done for the trial that got them convicted in the first place. I’d then say five years for appeals then their done.

[Zhang Fei]

Do the extra appeals in death-penalty cases cause any innocent people to be exonerated? If so, why not apply them also to people who are sentenced to lengthy or lifetime prison terms?

Despite what death penalty abolition advocates might say, any sentence can be and is appealed. If the death penalty is abolished, these advocates will simply have more time to help felons sentenced to life terms. Since the convicted felon's sentence only gets shorter, it's a no-lose proposition and therefore a no-brainer.

[Zhang Fei]

I've heard one suggestion is that in every death penalty case have the appeals judge sit and observe the trial so he knows what actually happened rather than what some shyster lawyer claims happened in the court room five years after the fact.

That's easily enough done by sending him the court transcripts. Or having capital trials video-taped and archived.

[GingisK]

I think it best to outsource executions to China. They perform each one for about 75 cents, and then they bill that to the family.

[dearolddad]

Oh wait,,, perhaps gas chambers are cheaper!

I think that has been tried. It didn't turn out real well.

[traditional1]

"thorough investigations are suppose to be done for the trial that got them convicted in the first place."

That's the point; appeals are fabricated on worthless/delaying arguments that should have been brought up in trial. Once convicted, the LAWYER should be the one who is charged with a crime of malpractice (but Lawyers will not sue other Lawyers).

The public desterves swift and complete justice. The victim' families are NEVER compensated or most times, not even allowed in the appeals process to testify on the harm done.

[GBA]

North Carolina has decided to free several convicted murderers and rapists and turn them loose upon a barely suspecting society.

NC inmates being freed have 256 prison infractions

And:

"The group set to be released is made up primarily of murderers and rapists, some of whom targeted young girls. Seven were once on death row."

Life in prison means life, unless it doesn't. How's that for insanity? On the plus side, they say releasing them should save the state some money, so we'll be doing this again and again and again!

[GVnana]

the cost to the state to reach that one execution is 30 million dollars

"First thing we do. Let's kill all the lawyers!"

[papasmurf]

Stanley Tookie Williams III


(December 29, 1953 – December 13, 2005), born in New Orleans, Louisiana was an early leader of the Crips, a notorious American street gang which had its roots in South Central Los Angeles in 1971. In 1979 he was convicted of four murders committed in the course of robberies, and he remained in prison for the rest of his life. Later on in his life, he became a five time Nobel Peace Prize nominee, an author of several books including anti-gang and violence literature. In December 2005, he was executed.

Williams allegedly refused to help police investigate his gang, and was implicated in attacks on guards and other women, as well as multiple escape plots, however this was never proven. In 1993, Williams began making changes in his behavior, and became an anti-gang activist while on Death Row in California. He renounced his gang affiliation and apologized for his role in founding the Crips. He also co-wrote children's books and participated in efforts intended to prevent youths from joining gangs. A biographical TV-movie entitled Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story was made in 2004, and featured Jamie Foxx as Williams.

On December 13, 2005, Williams was executed by lethal injection after clemency and a four-week stay of execution were both rejected by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, amidst debate over the death penalty and whether Williams' anti-gang advocacy in prison represented genuine atonement. Williams was the second inmate in California to be executed in 2005.

Jul 2 2006-crime.about.com In response to Stanley 'Tookie' Williams' petition for clemency, the Los Angeles District Attorney's office outlined in its response the following prison discipline record of the notorious founder of the Crips gang.

After being convicted of the four murders and sentenced to death in 1981, Stanley Williams was sent to San Quentin State Prison. Upon arriving at San Quentin, Williams quickly demonstrated violent behavior consistent with a hardened murderer. Although this is not an exhaustive list of Williams' violent acts while in prison, it is illustrative of his behavior at San Quentin:

* On June 30, 1981, just two months after being sentenced, Williams was involved in a violent fight with another inmate. Williams was observed kneeling over the other inmate and striking him in the head with his closed fists. When Williams was ordered to cease fighting, he ignored the order. Only after repeated orders to stop, did Williams stop his violence. (P. Exh. 6).

* On January 26, 1982, Williams was ordered to lineup for his return to his cell. Williams refused the order and became hostile. The guard then explained the line-up procedure to Williams. Williams responded by saying "you'll get yours boy, I can do anything now because I know what the gunmen will does¦one of these days I'll trick you boy." (P. Exh. 7).

* On January 28, 1982, Williams had two separate instances where he threw chemical substances at guards. In one of these instances, Williams threw a chemical substance in the eyes and on the face of a guard. As a result of that assault, the guard suffered from chemical burns to these areas and had to be taken to the hospital where he received emergency care. (P. Exh. 8).

* On January 29, 1982, Williams again attacked a guard by throwing a chemical substance on him. (P. Exh. 9).

* On February 16, 1984, a guard saw Williams bending over another inmate and striking him with his closed fists. In an effort to stop the attack, the guard blew his whistle and drew his weapon. Williams, however, continued to fight. Only after a guard fired a warning shot, did Williams stop fighting. (P. Exh. 10).

* On June 8, 1984, Williams was observed participating in inappropriate behavior with a female visitor. When the guard advised the female of the prison policies, Williams became verbally hostile and stated, "you are looking around too much and that's not your job. I have dusted many officers on the street, one more would not make any difference." (P. Exh. 11).

* On July 4, 1986, Williams stepped between a guard and another inmate and began to beat up the inmate. The guard ordered Williams to stop but Williams continued with the assault. Eventually, after gun officers responded, Williams stopped the attack. (P. Exh. 12).

* On October 10, 1988, Williams was involved in a fight that led to him being stabbed. Prison officials subsequently learned that this stabbing was done in retaliation for a September 22, 1988, stabbing of another inmate ordered by Crips leader Stanley Williams. (P. Exh. 13).

* On October 19, 1988, Williams was placed in Administrative Segregation based on his association with the Crips street gang. (P. Exh. 13).

* On December 24, 1991, Williams was involved in another fight with an inmate. Once again, despite being ordered to stop, Williams continued with the assault. Eventually, gun officers responded by firing a round near Williams. After the shot was fired, guards gained control over Williams. (P. Exh. 14).

* On July 6, 1993, a large fight broke out in the shower area. Williams was one of the combatants. A guard ordered the inmates to stop, but the fight continued. After a warning shot was fired, the fighting stopped. Subsequently, a stabbing instrument ("shank") made of sharpened plastic was recovered from where the fight had occurred. (P. Exh. 15).

Google search...

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Oh, yeah, he repented and said "I'm sorry" before he died...

[tet68]

Residivisium rate for executed murderers 0.
enough said.

I don’t suppose this report went into detail
WHy it costs $25,000,000 just to execute on killer.
What with endless appeals, numerous organized protests
and assorted lawyers working pro bono for the defense.

Convicted of murder 1. ONE appeal, in one year.
Turned down, executed forthwith by hanging.
Oh yes, use the rope over again, it will save money.