USELESS IN THE UNITED STATES?
The United States rarely uses the death penalty therefore the U.S. should get rid of it. Everybody knows the economy isn't doing so well (1). Almost every workplace is getting budget cuts including the police force. Policemen know that the death penalty is rarely used (1). If used, it only takes care of one individual. The death penalty is taking up too much money.
Every execution takes over one million dollars (1). The appeals take time and money. The preparation takes time and money. Everything about an execution takes time and money. All this money is spent towards executing one individual instead of many. Money that is used for the death penalty can be used towards other criminal activity (1).
"Every cost study in the US shows that the death penalty is far more expensive than a system where the maximum penalty is life in prison" (1). Being that it is far more expensive, why not just put the person into a life sentence in prison? Either way the person is being controlled under law. If the person is a really bad criminal just send them to Rikers Island.
Only 2% of police chiefs in the U.S. said the death penalty was their main concern (1). 32 states have the death penalty allowed in them (2). Out of those 32, only 9 states used the death penalty last year (2). In those 9 states, 39 executions took place (2). 39 out of 316.1 million people who live in America (4). That is only .00001% of the population in the U.S.
Since the percentage is so low and the cost for every execution is so high, the United States needs to get rid of the death penalty. Especially in time of economic crisis.
1-
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/CostsRptFinal.pdf
2-
http://deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/YearEnd2013.pdf
3-
http://deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/YearEnd2013.pdf
4-
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-schlesinger/2012/12/28/us-population-2013-more-than-315-million-people
Every execution takes over one million dollars (1). The appeals take time and money. The preparation takes time and money. Everything about an execution takes time and money. All this money is spent towards executing one individual instead of many. Money that is used for the death penalty can be used towards other criminal activity (1).
"Every cost study in the US shows that the death penalty is far more expensive than a system where the maximum penalty is life in prison" (1). Being that it is far more expensive, why not just put the person into a life sentence in prison? Either way the person is being controlled under law. If the person is a really bad criminal just send them to Rikers Island.
Only 2% of police chiefs in the U.S. said the death penalty was their main concern (1). 32 states have the death penalty allowed in them (2). Out of those 32, only 9 states used the death penalty last year (2). In those 9 states, 39 executions took place (2). 39 out of 316.1 million people who live in America (4). That is only .00001% of the population in the U.S.
Since the percentage is so low and the cost for every execution is so high, the United States needs to get rid of the death penalty. Especially in time of economic crisis.
1-
http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/CostsRptFinal.pdf
2-
http://deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/YearEnd2013.pdf
3-
http://deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/YearEnd2013.pdf
4-
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-schlesinger/2012/12/28/us-population-2013-more-than-315-million-people