This is far from the truth. In fact, a study conducted by the New York State Defenders Association showed that the cost of a capital trial alone was double the cost of life imprisonment. The other issue surrounding capital punishment deals with morality. This can be seen with the recent case in Chicago of Anthony Porter, who with the help of law students, was found innocent two days before he was scheduled to die. The death penalty is not a fair judgment.
Racial discrimination is also rampant in capital punishment.
Today, administration of the death penalty is a haphazard maze of unfair practices with no internal consistency. The ABA is specifically calling for competent counsel for all capital defendants, availability of federal court review of state prosecutions, efforts to eliminate racial discrimination in capital sentencing, and no executions of mentally retarded defendants or those under 18 when they committed their crimes. The benefits of capital punishment are few. It costs more than life imprisonment, does not deter crime, and is, arguably, not ethical. I believe that the United States should reconsider its stance towards capital punishment, after all, I don't want the state to kill for me.