California spent over $4 billion to issue death penalty cases from 1980 to 2012. During this period, only 13 criminals were prosecuted with the death penalty. The cost per death penalty is far beyond the cost of incarcerating someone for life. Even the death penalty does not deter crimes. A poll was conducted among criminal justice experts and 88% voted that capital punishment does not deter crime compared to long-term imprisonment. The homicide rate in states that do not allow the death penalty is actually lower than in states that do. Lee, K.T. Economic benefits of the death penalty. April 8, 2015 The death penalty costs taxpayers $1 million per death penalty case, compared to the $48,000 needed to incarcerate the criminal for a year. . Lee believes the death penalty brings more benefits than it is worth the cost. He stated that it prevents future criminals from committing murders by instilling fear in future criminals because the consequence of killing someone would also cost them their lives. Lee also said that with the capital punishment law, the families of the victims involved could receive rehabilitation courses to help them deal with the traumatic experience of losing their loved one. Muhlhausen, David B. The death penalty deters crime and saves lives. August 28th