As you say it's all about opinions. I'm simply setting out why I think executing someone is never the answer. I'm not asking you to agree with me.
I don't think it's right nor is it fair to ask one person, the Judge, to decide if someone should live or die for their crime.
There's a lot of very good information about the cost of the death penalty but most of it is US based. It's estimated in California that $250 million dollars a year could be saved in taxes if they got rid of the death penalty and replaced it with a life without release system. A death row prisoner in that state costs $90,000 more a year to look after and house
California has spent more than $4 billion on capital punishment since it was reinstated in 1978 (about $308 million for each of the 13 executions carried out)
California spends an additional $184 million on the death penalty per year because of the additional costs of capital trials, enhanced security on death row, and legal representation. http://www.deathpenalty.org/article.php?id=42" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Then there are the trial costs:-
Defending a death penalty case costs about four times as much as defending a case where the death penalty is not sought, according to a new study by the Kansas Judicial Council. Examining 34 potential death-penalty cases from 2004-2011, the study found that defense costs for death penalty trials averaged $395,762 per case, compared to $98,963 per case when the death penalty was not sought. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/costs-death-penalty" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
So ignoring the emotional arguments for revenge killings, the costs alone are enough to ensure that we never have the death penalty. If the death penalty came in then money would have to be taken away from areas such as health, emergency services, schools.
Unless you're happy to pay more tax to support it?
As I say, I'm just putting my side of the argument forward.
