American Economy?American tax money is used to support hard core criminals like murderersand rapists that are serving their sentence. At the end of 1992, State and Federal prisons reached a record high of883,593 prisoners. This record means that approximately 1,143 prisonbed spaces are needed per week due to overcrowding. To put this in aeconomic prospective, on the average each prisoner cost $22,000 peryear, and the cost of new construction averages almost $54,000 per bed(AAE Prison). The 883,593 prisoners are costing the Americantaxpayers approximately $19.4 billion plus another $61.7 Million for theconstruction of the 1,143 spaces needed. Why should we, the tax payers/the victims, support these criminals?Its true that not all the prisoners are hard core, but in 1992, 2,575prisoners--all murderers--were sentenced to death (BJS 5-93). 31 (onefemale) of the 2,575 (36 female) murderers had been executed during1992. This is the largest number of people executed for any year since1976 (BJS 12-92). By executing these murderers, the American tax moneycould be used for something more useful. Thus the economy benefits fromthe death penalty. In addition, it helps lower the prison population bythe number executed. The average time a death row prisoner has to spend in jail until thedeath sentence is carried out is about nine years and six months (BJS12-92). Its more economical to keep them in prison for those nineyears and execute them, rather that let them spend their life in jailtaking up space and tax money. Those who argue that its more expensive to execute a prisoner dontlook at the overall picture. Suppose the Amount A equals the amount ofmoney to support on prisoner per year ($22,000) and Amount B equals thecost of the Execution (neglible). We are talking about paying Amount Atimes the nine years spent in jail plus Amount B for the execution plusthe cost for new construction during the nine years (total is approx.$690,000). as opposed to ...
