LETTER: Nevada and the death penalty
Drew Johnson’s Sunday commentary about abolishing the death penalty was interesting. Mr. Johnson mostly railed about the cost of carrying out the death penalty and the money we waste in doing so. Well, most sane people realize this is because we allow appeal after endless appeal.
According to Google, the average cost to house a Nevada inmate is $17,851 per year. To house a prisoner on death row, however, will cost $90,000 per year. If a prisoner sits on death row for 20 years, that will cost the state $1.8 million.
No one wants to see an innocent person put to death. But in clear-cut cases where there is no doubt about the perpetrator, the death penalty should be applied as soon as possible. Zane Floyd is a classic example. The man should have been executed years ago.