Rethink public safety priorities

Monday, Dec. 15, 2014 | 2 a.m.

It is a commonly held belief that the death penalty is less expensive than life without the possibility of parole, but that’s just not true.

A new study by the Nevada auditor finds that death penalty cases cost far more than sentencing someone to life in prison with no chance of parole — that, in fact, the death penalty provides no additional benefit to society. It doesn’t deter crime and doesn’t make us safer.

The money wasted on death penalty cases could be used to solve more rapes and murders, put more police on the streets and improve our crime labs. Why waste additional tax dollars trying to execute prisoners who are already safely behind bars?

We need to rethink our public safety priorities and get much smarter on crime.

Richard Cornstuble, Las Vegas