Public Executions or Public Education?

[Modern School]

Cutting the Death Penalty Would Save California $1 Billion in 5 Years


* According to the ACLU, holding one person on death row costs taxpayers $90,000 per year over and above the cost of keeping that inmate in the general population.
* The state spends $10.9 million on each capital trial
* California spends as much per year pursuing executions as it would cost to hire 2,500 teachers


Of course these are impressive numbers and should be sufficient to piss off most people, especially in light of the fact that murder rates have not gone done. Clearly we should have more teachers and pay them better and we should abolish the death penalty. But it is a cynical and simplistic analysis to criticize the death penalty from such a cost-benefit perspective.

To Read the rest, please go to http://modeducation.blogspot.com/2011/01/public-executions-or-public-education.html