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States considering laying off the death penalty during tough economic times

By Douglas A. Berman

This new AFP story, headlined "US states may axe executions to cut costs," effectively reviews the growing talk of abolishing the death penalty in a few states: In an unexpected twist to the economic crisis, several US states are weighing whether to abolish the death penalty as the execution process proves too great a drain on dwindling resources. Death penalty laws remain on the books of 36 of the 50 US states, and capital punishment is supported by some two-thirds of the American public. But across the nation, states as diverse and far-flung as Montana, Kansas, New Mexico and Maryland are among those actively considering abolishing capital punishment in a bid to overcome ballooning budget shortfalls.... Most of the states involved in the move are those which have only executed a few people ? five or less ? in the past 30 years since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on February 18, 2009 (boomark / email).