I am not a religious person, my objection is not based on religion. I am not a bleeding heart that is just out to save lives. Nor do I think we are usually executed innocent people. I also acknowledge that society is better off without certain people in it and can agree that they deserve to die (including Clayton Lockett).
However:
- the death penalty is not a deterrent to crime,
- the death penalty is more expensive than life without parole (to preempt: No. We can't just get rid of appeals. Pesky Constitution guarantees rights),
- the death penalty will inevitably result in executing innocent people from time to time, and
- Oklahoma is not capable of competently executing its own citizens. In the last eighteen (18) months we have tried to execute three people. We have messed them all up. I'm tired of hearing about my state for negative thinks.
1) Lockett - botched the execution so bad he died of a heart attack after they aborted the execution. Tons of protocols were not followed leading up to, during, and while aborting the execution. Excuses were made and lawsuits followed. The cost of executing Lockett
Every major new source in the country, and most in the world carried the story. Forbes, The Atlantic, the Guardian in the UK ran expose follow ups on the botch. None were flattering. And to be clear, I don't care about Lockett's feelings - but by law We The People owe him a death free of cruel and unusual punishments, because we are better than he is.
We also owe his family a bunch of money. On top of the money spent on the investigation and press management. Which is on top of the legal fees and inmate costs we have already spent - about $5.5mil plus whatever the botched execution cost us. Call it $7mil to kill this guy, vs. about half of that to let him rot in jail.
2) Charles Warner - we successfully killed him. But it turns out we used unauthorized drugs to do it. The Supreme Court was clear on what drugs we can use. There are arguments that the drug used is "essentially the same" as the one mandated by protocol and approved by the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, drug retailers and jailers don't get to make that call - and apparently no one else bothered to check. This is not good, and I heard a national news story on it over lunch (it was discovered by reviewing autopsy results).
3) Glossip - still not dead. Initially delayed because of some issues with the police interrogation (Cop: "listen murderer, you keep saying no one else was involved. We arrest Glossip and think he hired you. If you tell us that, we will give you a deal." Murderer: "Glossip totally hired me." Cop: Thank you! We will execute him instead of you." Murderer: "cool!"), but not enough to exonerate Glossip. So they picked on the drug protocol, which the Supreme Court OK'd and the execution of Warner proceeded (with a different drug). At the zero hour, after Glossip's third final meal, Fallin issues a Stay and claims she had no idea...
Somehow, no one caught the mistake the first time. But they caught it this time and decided to bring attention to it. On the one with national media attention and a certain follow up coming on the execution, they catch it. The governor didn't know about it. The Attorney General didn't know about it. The execution team apparently didn't know about it. Of course more national news each mess up along the way.
- - - - -
What are we gaining? We gain vengeance, we feel good for killing the bad guy. That's it. I don't think its worth it.
If we, as a state, decide that it is worth it - lets bring back the firing squad. Seriously, its effective, its quick, and its hard to mess up. No doubt we can find plenty of CLEET certified executioners to participate. The only downside is it sounds barbaric and its messy... but we are executing someone. Why should it be neat and clean? All it has to be is quick and painless.
Or hook an IV up and pump them full of morphine until their heart stops.
If we are going to keep the death penalty, in spite of the cost/benefit, can we please find a way to do it right? But I say we just give up.
Death row stats for Oklahoma:
http://www.ok.gov/doc/Offenders/Death_Row/