Tuesday, May 13, 2008

 

Death Penalty Cost Op-Eds

Tennessee's State Funding Board has heard from experts that there will be a revenue shortfall between $271 and $380 million dollars. "State officials have been told to expect to cut up to $380 million more in spending before the fiscal year ends in June." This news prompted TCASK members Harry Simpson of Nashville and Steve Reddick of Oak Ridge to write their local papers because they both believe that the state is spending far too much money on one area of public policy.

Read Harry's letter in the Tennessean HERE.

"For years, experts have known that the death penalty’s costs are exorbitant. Maryland found that the death penalty cost taxpayers at least $186 million more in prosecuting and defending capital murder cases over two decades than would have been spent without the threat of execution and has executed a total of five people."

Read Steve's letter in the Oak Ridger HERE.

"And I'm not suggesting that abolishing the death penalty would solve all (or even many) of our state's budget woes. But abolition would certainly free up dollars to better address the root causes of crime and to help crime victims and their families. That, to me, is an investment worth making."

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Comments :
Hi, It's Kelly Waller. I am a new member of TCASK, Nashville chapter, and I finally got a chance to read the editorial Harry co-wrote and sent to the Tennessean. Excellent points. It was to my dismay that the comments by my fellow readers were less than educated about the issue. They need to know that there are family members of murder victims that are against the Death Penalty. Education is definitely the key. I wanted to say that I am willing, as Harry mentioned at the meeting, to do a little sign holding for the abolition of the Death Penalty and to blog about the NPR story corp interview that Staub conducted. Stories of this nature will do more to further our cause than even the exonerations. Open to any advice you guys have to give me.

peace love empathy and solidarity.

Kelly Waller
 
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