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To: Bill who wrote (3525)	3/19/2002 4:31:37 PM
From: Solon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 21057

It may be true, Bill. Canada however has wrongfuly convicted (I believe) seven people in the last 20 years for murder. These were innocent people, who may well have lost their only chance at this marvel we call life if the death penalty had been in place. I cannot accept the idea that innocent people should die so needlessly when alternatives are available. It does not mean I pity the true perpetrators; that is rarely part of my resistance. I only hope that the fault of some may be a lesson for the rest of us...

To: Bill who wrote (3525)	3/19/2002 10:23:57 PM
From: E	Respond to of 21057

But I did want to mention that I have some friends on the police force and in the DA's office and they tell me capital punishment is a deterrent. FWIW. There are many law enforcement people against the death penalty. I used to know a lot about this subject and read some of their statements. I remember that many prison wardens (who have to preside over executions) have spoken out against it. There's some good info on the deterrence question at the Bedau link, I'm going to go look for it.

To: Bill who wrote (3525)	3/19/2002 10:28:38 PM
From: E	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 21057

I got distracted by these stats, which is indirectly related to deterrence, I think -- in that money wasted could be put to crime-prevention: There are stats for a lot of states. Here's one. It's consistent: In 1988 and 1989 the Kansas legislature voted against reinstating the death penalty after it was informed that reintroduction would involve a first-year cost of "more than $11 million."59 Florida, with one of the nation's most populous death rows, has estimated that the true cost of each execution is approximately $3.2 million, or approximately six times the cost of a life-imprisonment sentence."60 {They could put a lot of [deterrent] cops on the street for that. - E} aclu.org

To: Bill who wrote (3525)	3/19/2002 10:32:55 PM
From: E	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 21057

From one end of the country to the other public officials decry the additional cost of capital cases even when they support the death penalty system. "Wherever the death penalty is in place, it siphons off resources which could be going to the front line in the war against crime…. Politicians could address this crisis, but, for the most part they either endorse executions or remain silent."62 (from the same source) (It's mostly about politicians liking the issue for demogogic reasons, I'm convinced. And it's such an easy one! It takes attention away from what they're doing, or not doing, and what politician wouldn't like that? -E)