Nebraska Death Penalty Case Study

These statistic, the death penalty will reduce further crimes, are used by some to claim that the death penalty is an ok method of punishment. This is not actually the case. Scientific studies have consistently failed to

It can cost as much as 3 times more to keep a prisoner on death row before execution than it costs to take care of a prisoner with a life sentence. In fact, defense costs alone for death penalty trials cost on average $395,762 per case, compared to $98,963 per case when the death penalty was not sought (Kansas Judicial Council). A study conducted by Seattle University on the costs of the death penalty i.e. the cost of appeals, hiring attorneys, and keeping a prisoner on death row before execution in Washington State found that, a death penalty case costs on average one million dollars more than a similar case that does not warrant a death penalty ($3.07 million versus $2.01 million). In addition, due to the longevity of death penalty cases, mostly as a result of the long appeal processes, statistics have shown the same high cost trends in all of the states that apply the death penalty. Thus, during these times of economic crisis, it is only wise for states and the government to spend and invest taxpayers’ money into more important areas, such as health care and

Capital Punishment has been a controversial topic in the United States since the inception of the constitution, and now, in 2016, the topic has peaked once again and this time in our home state of Nebraska. In May of 2015, legislation passed in Nebraska’s unicameral banning the death penalty for the state, changing the maximum penalty for first degree murder to a life in prison. This legislation was passed by the Nebraska Senate, overriding a veto from Governor Pete Ricketts. Now in November during the general election, Nebraska voters will have the ability to vote to either reinstate the death penalty or to abolished it completely. The death penalty should not be reinstated in Nebraska. It is costly to Nebraska tax payers, delivers erroneous

Some may be shocked to be informed that capital punishment actually costs more than life in prison; that is without parole. Many would figure that the costs would be less for the death penalty because of the food, place of living for the prisoners, etc., but quite frankly, it costs more for a prisoner to be punished to death rather than to having life in prison (Hyden). Some state’s taxes differ but for the state of California, capital punishment costs taxpayers more than $114 million a year (Bushman). Additionally, the taxpayers of California spend $250 million per execution (Bushman). According to the nonpartisan state legislative analyst’s office, the average cost of imprisoning an inmate was around $47,000 per year in 2008-09. In comparison, the death penalty can lead to an additional $50,000 to 90,000 per year, according to the studies found (Ulloa). In more studies, they have estimated the taxpayers to spend $70 million per year on incarceration, plus $775 million on additional federal legal challenges to convictions, and $925 million on automatic appeals with the initial challenges to death penalty cases

All of the research that I have done suggests that the death penalty is not a major source of deterrence for criminals to commit severe crimes such as homicide. In a 2009 survey of America’s top criminologists, published in the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology and written by Professor Michael Radelet, eighty-eight percent of the expert criminologists stated that they do not believe the death penalty acts as a deterrent for criminals to commit homicide. Respondents to this survey were asked to base their answers on research, rather

Those that are for the death penalty claim that it will serve as a deterrent and is the only way for retribution against murderers. Both issues are highly debatable and have even been a subject of criticism. Punishment as a deterrence has been used for ages. This concept does work, however it should not be applied to all criminals, in my opinion. Some pro capital punishment individuals claim that it is an efficient deterrence against criminals. In an article “Death penalty is a deterrence”, the authors claim that by practicing the death penalty, violent crimes will decrease.”violent crime has declined eleven percent, with murder showing the largest decline at even more than twenty two percent. We believe that this has occurred in part because of the strong signal that the death penalty sent to violent criminals and murders.” These statistics taken from this article may be inaccurate and should be closely examined.

The Fact sheet found on the Death Penalty Information Center showed that solely in Kansas, there was an average of $400,000 per case for defense costs by inmates placed on death row compared to the average of $100,000 paid per case to defense attorneys when there was no death penalty (DPIC). Alarcon and Mitchell conducted a study in 2011 that showed that just in California getting through the process of having an inmate on death row was over $4,000,000,000 (DPIC). This was due to the various amounts of fees that had to be paid for court trials, appeals, housing death row inmates in preparation for their incarcerations etc. (DPIC) lastly just in the state of Texas, the cost of carrying out a death penalty case, which is $2.3 million is three times as much as housing an inmate in solitary confinement at a maximum-security prison for 4 decades (DPIC). This huge difference in numbers add to how unrighteous it would be to keep the death penalty legal in the U.S.

Many states have gotten rid of death penalty as their maximum form of punishment. In May of 2015 Nebraska did the same, but there is a new rising question. Should Nebraska voters reintroduce the death penalty as our maximum form of punishment? Yes, they should. First it would show force. It would show that nothing bad will be tolerated. Second it is what they deserve. They aren’t just in the place they are for stealing a candy bar. And finally it will get them off the road. Those type of people facing this casinero are there for a bad reason, and should not be seen of the streets in public again. Let me explain to you how it will show force.

About two thirds of the countries around the world have abolished capital punishment in law or in practice on the grounds that it really isn’t effective to crime (opposingviews.com). But a 2008 comprehensive review of capital punishment research since 1975 by Drexel University economist Bijou Yang and psychologist David Lester of Richard Stockton College of New Jersey concluded that the majority of studies that track effects over many years and across states or counties find a deterrent effect (usnews.com).

In May of 2015 our government of Nebraska banned the death penalty from the state which means first degree murder serve to life in prison and execution. On November 8th 2016 the people of Nebraska wanting to see if they can reinstate the penalty for the state. The topic question is will the people say yes or no. The death penalty is a very serious crime that criminals don’t like at all, the death penalty to be reinstate can be very dangerous to all that deserve it. Today I am going to talk about why the death penalty should be or shouldn’t be reinstated for crimes in Nebraska. One is should be reinstated because crimes have been too much of an issue for jails that have dangerous criminals that needed to be executed for their crime that they

Death Penalty Information Center, “The report concluded that state and county charges for the defense, prosecution, and courts would be about $1.8 million per case through trial, initial state appeal, and appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.” This was the estimation of how much they would have spent if the death penalty were to be reinstated. Abolishing capital punishment will save taxpayers a lot of money because it would cut the costs significantly on how much money is needed each year in order to prosecute defendants.

This is proven to be false. According to the N.C. Department of Justice, the death penalty actually does not influence murderers to think twice before killing, in fact it does the opposite (Death Penalty Does Not Deter Crimes, 2015). As observed, states in the United States that don't use the death penalty have a lower murder rate that that of the states that do (Death Penalty Does Not Deter Crimes, 2015). For example, there was a forty six percent lower rate of murder in non-death penalty states than in death penalty states ("Death Penalty Does Not Deter Crimes.", 2015). When the United States is compared to countries that do not use the death penalty, such as Canada or nations in Europe, it also has a higher homicide rate as well. Generally homicides are committed in moments of anger and not even thinking. Criminals are commonly severe drug and alcohol users and do not generally think of the consequences of their actions. Homicides are usually committed in the heat of anger or deep emotion while either under the influence of substances or mentally ill. So when someone says it makes people think twice, that isn’t always the case. In the mind of a sane person they of course think of the consequences and do not continue to create violence. But an insane person who would actually commit a capital

Death Penalty supporters say it is cheaper to kill the convict rather than keep them alive but contrary to that belief it is not. Even though each day it cost the tax payers $55.09 which is roughly $20,108 a year (Hurley), this is nothing compared to the legal fees that the inmate racks up leaving you and I the tax payers to pick up the tab. For an inmate that is death row it cost $68,000 in the due to observation of guards all hours of the day compared to the $38,000 to watch them if they are only on a life sentence (Hurley).

The test for deterrence is not whether executions produce lower murder rates, but that executions produce fewer murders than if the death penalty did not exist. For example, the fact that the state of Delaware executes more people per capita (1/87,500) than any other state and has a murder rate 16 times lower than Washington, D.C. (5/100,000 vs 78.5/100,000) is not proof, per se, that the death penalty deters murder in Delaware or that the lack of the death penalty escalates murders and violent crime in Washington, D.C., which has the highest violent crime and murder rates in the U.S. Be careful how you explain and understand deterrence.

A study done in New Jersey estimated taxpayers spent more than $253 million dollars on the death penalty which is over the amount they would have spent if they used life without parole, Washington spent $470,000 in additional cost to the prosecution and defense over the cost of trying the same case without the death penalty, In Ohio defending and prosecuting death row inmates cost the taxpayers half- a million to sometimes more than 1 million per inmate, In Florida the state would save $51 million each year by punishing all first degree murders with life in prison without parole. This shows that there is a clear indication that it costs more to have an inmate on death row than one who is locked up for life without