Let’s assess the costs of Nevada’s death penalty

To the editor:

In her column of March 28, Jane Ann Morrison makes several common mistakes in her evaluation of a pending bill concerning Nevada's death penalty.

The Legislature is considering whether to assess the costs of prosecuting death penalty cases in Nevada, as compared to non-capital murder cases. Ms. Morrison admits that it's expensive but doesn't think we need to know how expensive it is. The Legislature is weighing the merits of a cost study, not deciding the advisability of the death penalty itself. The Legislature should pass this bill because it will provide vital information for lawmakers about the cost of the maintaining a death penalty system.

Cost must be considered in every legislative decision. Many people say they don't want their tax dollars being spent on keeping a murderer alive for the rest of his life in prison. Many people are surprised when they learn that the cost of the death penalty far exceeds the cost of life imprisonment without possibility of parole. Many are also surprised to learn that much of the cost of the death penalty comes in the first part of the criminal proceedings -- investigation and trial. Ms. Morrison makes a common mistake in believing that the high costs of the death penalty are largely a result of the appeals after trial.

Nevada has executed 12 inmates since 1977, when states around the country resumed capital punishment. Eleven of the 12 have been executed without having exhausted their available appeals. Without our high number of "volunteers," Nevada would have carried out only one execution in more than 30 years of taxpayers paying for a death penalty system. That's an extremely expensive program for such a small return.

It is time for the state of Nevada to conduct an in-depth study of how much we spend on our death penalty system, and then be able to decide whether those monies might be better spent on other public safety measures.

There are some who say that cost is not important when it comes to public safety. But spending large amounts of money seeking the death penalty for a handful of violent criminals can waste money that should fund programs that help all survivors of violence with victim assistance programs and violence prevention programs.

It is irresponsible to say "cost does not matter" in our world of limited financial resources.

Not all murder victim families want the death penalty. Some know that the death penalty does not bring closure, and does not heal the loss of their loved one. In fact, the sponsor of the cost-study bill himself, Assemblyman Bernie Anderson, is a murder victim family member.

Every dollar spent on a death penalty case could instead be spent on improving the prosecution of other violent offenses more expeditiously, investigating "cold" crimes, or funding more officers on the street to prevent crime from occurring in the first place. Money currently spent on seeking death could instead be used for programs that provide meaningful assistance to all victims of violence. The list of other worthy uses of these funds goes on and on -- crime prevention programs, re-entry programs, job training programs, substance abuse programs, education, child care, public libraries, parks and open space, etc.

The legislation also proposes a moratorium on executions while the Audit Division conducts its research on costs. Common sense tells us to halt executions while we are studying their cost. It would also be logical to extend the moratorium to all new criminal cases filed after the effective date of this legislation. Even Ms. Morrison agrees that the death penalty system is expensive, and such a moratorium would bring about immediate and substantial cost savings.

Back in 2002, a legislative subcommittee unanimously recommended that a cost study be done here in Nevada. After a seven-year delay, AB190 provides the vehicle for finally doing that study. The Legislature should pass this legislation. With our financial crisis causing huge cuts in all programs, we cannot afford to wait any longer.

Nancy Hart

LAS VEGAS

The writer is the president of the Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty. She can be reached at nvcadp@gmail.com.