UN: Texas execution broke international law

[luckytxn 2,264]

No matter if you are for or against the death penalty means nothing. Texas has the death penalty. Texas will usually carry out that sentence and within a decent amount of time. If anyone from any point in the world comes to Texas and kills someone then there is a good chance that they will be forfeiting their life. As a Texan I know that if I go most anywhere in this world that there is a good chance that if I commit certain acts I will forfeit my life probably. I will tend to maybe not commit those certain crimes that will do me in.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

I am not good in math but how is a lifetime of housing/feeding/entertaining a prisoner CHEAPER than executing?

It costs more in terms of legal fees, court time etc.

[웃 910]

It costs more in terms of legal fees, court time etc.

Why? Once you are sentenced you are sentenced whether it was to LIFE W/O PAROLE or to DEATH or ACQUITTED.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

No matter if you are for or against the death penalty means nothing. Texas has the death penalty. Texas will usually carry out that sentence and within a decent amount of time. If anyone from any point in the world comes to Texas and kills someone then there is a good chance that they will be forfeiting their life. As a Texan I know that if I go most anywhere in this world that there is a good chance that if I commit certain acts I will forfeit my life probably. I will tend to maybe not commit those certain crimes that will do me in.

Personally, if I committed a crime that was life/death penalty level I'd rather die that be in prison.

[웃 910]

FROM:

There's a claim that it is more expensive for the state to execute a criminal than to incarcerate him for life. Many opponents present, as fact, that the cost of the death penalty is so expensive (at least $2 million per case?), that we must choose life without parole ("LWOP") at a cost of $1 million for 50 years. Predictably, these pronouncements may be entirely false. JFA (Justice for All) estimates that LWOP cases will cost $1.2 million - $3.6 million more than equivalent death penalty cases.

And life without parole prisoners face, on average, 30 or 40 years in prison while the annual cost of incarceration is $40,000 to $50,000 a year for each prisoner or more! There is no question that the up front costs of the death penalty are significantly higher than for equivalent LWOP cases. There also appears to be no question that, over time, equivalent LWOP cases are much more expensive - from $1.2 to $3.6 million - than death penalty cases. Opponents ludicrously claim that the death penalty costs, over time, 3-10 times more than LWOP.

The $34,200 is conservative, if TIME Magazine's (2/7/94) research is accurate. TIME found that, nationwide, the average cell cost is $24,000/yr. and the maximum security cell cost is $75,000/yr. (as of12/95). Opponents claim that LWOP should replace the DP. Therefore, any cost calculations should be based specifically on cell costs for criminals who have committed the exact same category of offense - in other words, cost comparisons are valid only if you compare the costs of DP-equivalent LWOP cases to the cost of DP cases. The $34,200/yr. cell cost assumes that only 20% of the DP-equivalent LWOP cases would be in maximum security cost cells and that 80% of the DP-equivalent LWOP cases would be in average cost cells. A very conservative estimate. The $60,000/yr., for those on death row, assumes that such cells will average a cost equal to 80% of the $75,000/yr. for the most expensivemaximum security cells. A very high estimate. Even though we are calculating a 75% greater cell cost for the DP than for equivalent LWOP cases, equivalent LWOP cases appear to be significantly more expensive, over time, than their DP counterparts. For years, opponents have improperly compared the cost of all LWOP cases to DP cases, when only the DP equivalent LWOP cases are relevant.

Annual cost increases are based upon: 1) historical increases in prison costs, including judicial decisions regarding prison conditions,and the national inflation rate; 2) medical costs, including the immense cost of geriatric care, associated with real LWOP sentences; 3) injury or death to the inmate by violence; 4) injury or death to others caused by the inmate (3 and 4 anticipate no DP and that prisoners, not fearing additional punishment, other than loss of privileges, may increase the likelihood of violence. One could make the same assumptions regarding those on death row. The difference is that death row inmates will average 6 years incarceration vs. 50 years projected for LWOP); 5) the risk and the perceived risk of escape; and 6) the justifiablelack of confidence by the populace in our legislators, governors, parole boards and judges, i.e. a violent inmate will be released upon society.

$75,000 for trial and appeals cost, for DP-equivalent LWOP cases, assumes that the DP is not an option. It is believed that this cost estimate is very low. It is over-estimated that DP cases will cost twenty times more, on average, or $1.5 million. This exaggerated estimate states that the DP will have twenty times more investigation cost, defense and prosecution cost, including court time, guilt/innocence stage, sentencing stage and appellate review time and cost than DP equivalent LWOP cases. Even though abolitionists have greatly exaggerated the cost of DP cases, DP cases still prove to be significantly less expensive, over time, than the DP equivalent LWOP cases.

6 years on death row, prior to execution, reflects the new habeas corpus reform laws, at both the state and federal levels. Some anti-death penalty groups speculate that such time may actually become only 4 years. If so, then DP cases would cost even that much less than the DP equivalent LWOP cases. However, the average time on death row, for those executed from 1973-1994, was 8 years. Therefore, 6 years seems more likely. Even using the 8 year average, the DP equivalent LWOP cases are still $1 million more expensive than their DP counterparts ($2 million @ 2% annual increase).

So the death penalty costs reside mainly in appeals costs. Life without parole prisoners get the same appeals and should be considered to bear the same costs.

Edited July 9, 2011 by Lord Infamous

[Ironman140 45]

I need a beer after trying to understand that post. I think I need to get in the same mindset.

Grab me one please.

Some low life murders and then claims to be a citizen of another country. Just to save his sorry #### and people actual back him up.

The world has gone nuts

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Here is a recent article on it from a conservative source.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/03/27/just-cost-death-penalty-killer-state-budgets/

Grab me one please.

Some low life murders and then claims to be a citizen of another country. Just to save his sorry #### and people actual back him up.

The world has gone nuts

I'm not sure where your getting the "back him up" part.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Grab me one please.

Some low life murders and then claims to be a citizen of another country. Just to save his sorry #### and people actual back him up.

The world has gone nuts

Welcome to the world of VJ ultra libs. It doesn't matter what's right or wrong, as long as it's politically correct in their ultra lib eyes.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Welcome to the world of VJ ultra libs. It doesn't matter what's right or wrong, as long as it's politically correct in their ultra lib eyes.

Its not about being politically correct

John 8:7

7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

Its not about being politically correct

John 8:7

7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

I don't believe in god. I do believe DNA testing should be done on everyone so there isn't any chances of executing the wrong person.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

I don't believe in god. I do believe DNA testing should be done on everyone so there isn't any chances of executing the wrong person.

I was just saying my personal beliefs are not driven by a political agenda.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Its not about being politically correct

John 8:7

7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

I'll do it. I didn't kill anybody that didn't try and kill me first.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I was just saying my personal beliefs are not driven by a political agenda.

Your one of the normal ones on here as far as libs go... I mean your not wingnutted out like some libs...zero dumb comes to mind in that regard.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

exactly

Nope.

Life imprisonment (also known as a life sentence, life-long incarceration or life incarceration) is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life or until death.

Them red places here is where this life imprisonment is available as a punishment.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Nope.

Life imprisonment (also known as a life sentence, life-long incarceration or life incarceration) is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life or until death.

Them red places here is where this life imprisonment is available as a punishment.

Then how does Charles Manson get a parole hearing every five years? Of course he has been denied the last 11 times.