Death or Life

After further research, the death penalty may still be abolished. It won't be abolished because of the debate of whether or not it is ethical, but due to the United States' budget. According to Associated Press, life imprisonment is "tens of millions of dollars cheaper" than executing a criminal on death row. Associated Press also reveals that criminals wait "an average of 20 years from conviction to death row." Richard C. Dieter, Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center claims that "everything needed for an ordinary trial is needed for a death penalty case, only more so." This includes more "pre trial, more attorneys, jurors will have to be quizzed about their knowledge of the death penalty, and the case will take longer." Even though surveys have shown how life imprisonment will be more cost efficient, others like Dudley Sharp, Death Penalty Resources Director of Justice For All, still disagree. Personally, I believe the system of the death penalty needs to be refined. There are no reasons that a criminal should wait for their time of being punished. A revision in the way criminals are executed would cost less than life imprisonment. Why don't we use such approaches as Chris Clem, Attorney at Samples, Jennings, Ray & Clem, PLLC says? "Executions do not have to cost that much. We could hang them and re-use the rope. No cost! Or we could use firing squads and ask for volunteer firing squad members who would provide their own guns and ammunition. Again, no cost."