"Edgar" wrote in message
...

"Lew Hodgett" wrote in message
...

"Edgar" wrote:

Leaving aside the arguments for and against the death penalty, how can
it possibly be more expensive to execute somebody than to keep him/her
in prison for life?

Pure math.

Assume it costs $1,000/week to keep someone in prison.

That is $52,000/year.

To simplify the math, call it $60,000/year.

If you keep a person in jail 60 years the cost is:

(60years)*($60,000/year) = $3,600,000 lifetime.

The legal costs for a capital case including appeals far exceeds
$3,600,000.

Also the jail costs continue to accrue thus increasing costs while the
legal process continues.

The only people who make out are the lawyers.

Lew


There is a flaw in that argument.
You have not taken into account the fact that there wll also be lawyers
fees for the guy who gets life in prison.
I agree that the lawyers win whichever route is taken but capital
punishment certainly reduces the cost to the taxpayer.



Not really... sure there's the occaisonal attorney, but mostly they rot in
jail.


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"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com