Death By The State

Paul Rhodes is to be executed November the 18th by the State of Idaho.  You remember Rhodes, he was sentenced to death for the sexual assault and murder of Idaho Falls teacher Susan Michelbacher, 34, whose bullet-ridden body was found in March 1987, and for the first-degree murder and kidnapping of Stacy Dawn Baldwin, 21, a Blackfoot convenience store clerk who was shot to death in February 1987.


If ever there was a person who deserves the ultimate sentence, it's Rhodes.  But consider he was imprisoned since 1987... that's 24 years after the crime.  In that time, it has cost the State of Idaho approximately $1,200,000 to keep him under lock and key.  That's considering it costs about $50,000 per year to house a criminal.  That figure comes from when I worked in the prison system in 1995, it's probably much more given inflation and other cost increases.  Perhaps even as much as 2-million dollars for 24 years.


Is it worth it?  I dunno.  I do believe we should do better when it comes between sentencing and carrying out that sentence.  If we are not going to execute these people for 20+ years, then why have a death sentence at all?





Lacey Slvak has been incarcerated for 30-years.  That's probably at a cost of over 1.5 million dollars.  I know you cannot put a price on human life, but come on folks, that's just not justice.


I'm just saying....
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