lso a myth because of overcrowding in theprisons. Early parole has released convicted murderers and they still continue murder.Some escape and murder again, while others have murdered someone in prison. There arecountless stories in prisons where a violent inmate kills another for his dinner.Incapacitation is not solely meant as deterrence but is meant to maximize public safety byremove any possibility of a convict murderer to murder again. The issue of execution of an innocent person is troubling to both abolitionists andretentionists alike. Some people are frightened of this possibility enough to be convincedthat capital punishment should be abolished. This is not true at all. The execution ofinnocent people is very rare because there are many safeguards guaranteeing protection ofthe rights of those facing the death penalty. There is legal assistance provided and anautomatic appeal for persons convicted of capital crimes. Persons under the age ofeighteen, pregnant women, new mothers or persons who have become insane can not besentenced to death. Retentionists argue almost all human activities, ranging from truckingto construction, costs the lives of some innocent bystanders. These activities can not besimply abandoned, because the advantages outweigh the losses. Capital punishment saveslives as well as takes them. We must accept the few risks of wrongful deaths for the sakeof defending public safety. Abolitionists say the cost of execution has become increasingly expensive and thatlife sentence is more economical. A study of the Texas criminal system estimated the costof appealing capital murder at $2,316,655. This high cost includes $265,640 for the trial;$294,240 for the state appeals; $113,608 for federal appeals (over six years); and$135,875 for death row housing. In contrast, the cost of housing a prisoner in a Texasmaximum security prison single cell for 40 years is estimated at $750,000. This is a hugeamount of taxpayer money b...
