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The Death Penalty Essay

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As of January 1, 2010, 3,261 people live on death row (“Death”). Fewer than 3,261 people live in my small town of Belle Plaine, so to me this number is outrageous. Inmates that wait on the death penalty jail create a problem for everyone in the country. If we would put these inmates through the death penalty quickly, we could take the problem away from the country. Why do we keep murderers and criminals on death row around? People argue the controversial topic of the death penalty very thoroughly, and address all sides. On one side people argue that we would save money and the death penalty sets an example for other criminals, while on the opposition people argue that life without parole is cheaper, capital punishment is morally …show more content…

The money spent on prisoners each year adds up, and with the economy being at a low these last few years, why would we want the government to have to pay that kind of money for these criminals? Along with the costs of prison, the cost of court for the government is added in on top for each inmate’s court case. Some people think that just because the government is going to court that they do not have to pay any money, which in fact a false statement. For a life without parole case, it will cost the government $1.2 to $3.6 million dollars more than a death penalty court case (Sharp). Court costs are so much because life without parole cases can be lengthy and last for years. People who like the thought of life without parole would rather see criminals put in jail for life instead of killed. Also, people argue that the death penalty is more expensive because of the court cost which is in fact not true. As I have shown, the life without parole cases cost millions more than a death penalty case. When addressing the death penalty, the morality of the death penalty is a big part of the argument. I agree that killing a person is wrong and should not be done, but is that not why the death row inmates are on death row? The people who do not want the death penalty say that killing a person is morally wrong. Their argument is very understandable; likewise I argue that death row inmates made the choice for themselves. The majority of death row inmates went out and

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