Life vs. the Death Penalty Costs

Paper Summary:

This paper considers whether a sentence of life in prison is more economically feasible for taxpayers and the prison system than the death penalty. The paper looks at a number of cost factors associated with life imprisonment and the death penalty and compares the costs to determine which is the most fiscally responsible.

From the Paper:

"The population of the United States' prison systems is expanding at nearly an exponential rate. Between 1980 and 1988, just an eight year period, the number of people incarcerated in both state and federal prisons increased by ninety percent. Eighty-six percent of the states are under court order to resolve extreme overcrowding, and voters must routinely decide whether to appropriate more tax dollars to expand the prison system. Construction costs are astronomical and taxpayers balk at building additional facilities or adding more beds to existing units. In this economically strained environment it is a valid concern that questions of costs be addressed when considering sentencing guidelines. Our state and federal prison systems are unable to support the growing number of individuals convicted to spend years or the remainder of their natural lives in prison."

More papers on Life vs. the Death Penalty Costs:

• Persuasive Essay # 23783 : "The Death Penalty"
• Persuasive Essay # 65678 : "The Death Penalty"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: