Open Forum OPEN FORUM What we sacrifice on Death Row

Tag : open die

The best-kept secret in California is the real cost of the deathpenalty system.
I remember my first PTA meeting at my son's public high school inSan Francisco. Parents discussed how they were going to spend themoney they had accumulated from their fundraising efforts. Thegroup decided to spend a portion on photocopying books so thatstudents would not have to share. I was shocked to learn that ourschool did not have enough money to provide each child with a book- so I rolled up my sleeves and joined the fundraising team. Ourefforts supplied the students with books, sports uniforms, musicalinstruments, computers and printers. That was 16 years ago. Ididn't know how good we had it. If the governor's proposed fundingcuts take effect for the coming fiscal year, California will dropfrom our current rank of 49th to 50th in the country for per pupilfunding for education.
But for some reason, the state's coffers seem to be wide open whenit comes to carrying out the death penalty in California. Mostpeople think we save money with executions - that it is cheaper toexecute prisoners than to lock them up until they die of old age,illness or injury.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
We spend an estimated $117.35 million annually to keep the deathpenalty on the books in California when we have an alternative:permanent imprisonment. This sentence costs far less - about $23million a year - and is a severe, swift and certain punishment. Itallows the victims' families to move on with their lives, knowingthat the convicted murderer will never be free and society will besafe.
Capital cases are expensive because they are so complex; theyrequire more lawyers, more experts, an extensive jury selectionprocess, and two trials (one to determine guilt and one forsentencing) - all constitutionally required to help prevent theconviction and execution of the innocent.
Conversely, executing those on Death Row (673), or waiting for themto die of other causes, will cost California an estimated $4billion more than if they had been sentenced to permanentimprisonment.
Every tax dollar spent on executions is a tax dollar not availablefor education. Why are we willing to spend so much money trying tokill prisoners and not on the education of our children? What could$117.35 million dollars a year buy for our public schools?
The real cost of the death penalty is what we sacrifice for it.Perhaps we should join all the other Western democracies that haveabolished capital punishment and put our tax dollars to better use.


Nancy Oliveira is the former president of Lowell High School PTSAand San Francisco 2nd District PTA. She has been a resident of SanFrancisco for 35 years. She also serves on the Board of DeathPenalty Focus.