In 1989, the state of Florida executed 42-year-old Ted Bundy



In 1989, the state of Florida executed 42-year-old Ted Bundy. Bundy confessed to 28 murders in four states. During his nine years on death row, he received three stays of execution. Before he was put to death in the electric chair, Bundy cost taxpayers more than $5 million (1). In a case where the person confessed, it still took 9 years to get to the execution. Sadly this is not uncommon. The average time an inmate will spend on death row is about 11 years (2). Most people think that the verdict is read and the execution takes place. However, the convict may draw out the time between the two events through a lengthy process of appeals. This not only stalls the execution, but cost the taxpayers millions of dollars each year.

At first glance, the costs involved in the execution of an inmate appear simple and minuscule. As of 2003, the state of Florida paid $150 to the executioner, $20 for the last meal, $150 for a new suit for the inmate's burial, and $525 for the undertaker's services and a coffin. The cost of an execution is less than $1,000 (1). When you factor in the legal costs, it is a whole different story. Based on the 44 executions that Florida has had since 1976, they estimated that one execution in their state cost over $24 million dollars each. To house a death row inmate costs an average of $90,000 per year. That is 1.4 million dollars just to house one death row inmate for 15 years. The rest of the $22 million is being spent by hiring a state appointed attorney to defend the inmate, prosecutors, judges, labs, psychologists, psychiatrists and law enforcement that were responsible for investigating these crimes. A death row inmate can wait four years on average before even being assigned an attorney for their first appeal. This amount adds a cost of $360,000 per inmate even before the appeal is under way (3).

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