Death penalty is costly, ineffective

With all the coverage of our new president, an important issue has been largely ignored. The death penalty and the controversy surrounding it have been around for centuries. It is time to eliminate it on a national level.

The economy is on all of our minds these days, which is why I feel it is important to mention the outrageous costs associated with the death penalty. A study performed by the Death Penalty Information Center states that death penalty cases cost an additional $470,000 to the prosecution, and death row criminals cost an additional $90,000 to house over non-death row criminals.

This is money our nation could be using toward things like defense, infrastructure, or perhaps we could cut the cost and lower taxes. Maybe you could use a few extra dollars during these hard times?

If the death penalty were effective, I might feel differently; but a study done by the Death Penalty Information Center says that states without the death penalty actually have lower murder rates than states with it.

It's understandable that we want criminals punished, but in this age, we need to be worried about efficiency and effectiveness. The death penalty provides neither of those. It doesn't deter criminals.

This information leads me to believe that abolishing the death penalty on a national level would be a huge upgrade for this country, and I strongly urge everyone to let our representatives know.

William Larsen

Dundee-Crown High School student

Sleepy Hollow