Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFeatured Issue: “Should Indiana change its death penalty law?”
Recently, Indiana has faced a very difficult question: Should our state continue to use the death penalty as a form of punishment?
This question resurfaced after two cases of capital punishment were carried out within the last year, following a hiatus of more than a decade. Both cases involved criminals convicted in Indiana of heinous crimes, including a quadruple murder and the murder of a law enforcement officer.
While we should have an open debate on this important topic, it is my firm belief that, at minimum, Indiana should continue to have the option to pursue the death penalty.
First, we need to consider the impact of these monstrous crimes. When someone is murdered, the impact is more than just ending a life. Family and friends lose a treasured loved one, leaving long impacts for the rest of their lives. To commit murder is unthinkable, leaving deep scars that may never fully heal.
Second, just because Indiana has the option to pursue the death penalty does not mean it will be frequently used. The execution of Benjamin Ritchie in May was only the second use of capital punishment in our state in over 15 years. The one prior, Joseph Corcoran, had been on death row for over two decades. In these types of cases, the convicted can appeal their sentence, triggering the Indiana Supreme Court to directly review the case.
While it is rare to pursue this penalty, that does not mean we should not have the option in particularly despicable and clear cases.
Third, as with any policy decision, we should consider the taxpayer. According to a fiscal analysis by the Legislative Services Agency, it costs Indiana an average of nearly $30,000 to house an adult offender annually. For an offender on death row for 20 years, that’s half a million dollars alone, with taxpayers footing the bill.
But cost to taxpayers must also be taken into account in carrying out the death penalty. Under Indiana’s current statute, lethal injection is the only allowable mechanism for capital punishment. The rising cost and inaccessibility of these drugs has delayed justice and burdened taxpayers. Recent reports have shown that Indiana spent more than $1 million in the past year to acquire the drugs, which are hard to come by and require consistent updates so the drug is potent.
For this reason, I am currently exploring how we can expand Indiana’s law and provide more options for implementing the death penalty to protect taxpayers and ensure swift justice. For Indiana’s law to remain strong and actionable, we must have a discussion on following through with these prosecutions in a timelier, more economic manner.
Like most issues, there is not a perfect solution to the question of the death penalty. However, if we disallow the opportunity to pursue it, Indiana will lose one of its strongest deterrents against heinous crimes while asking the average taxpayer to foot an ever-growing bill for a small select few.•
__________
Lucas, a Republican, represents House District 69, which includes portions of Bartholomew, Jackson, Scott and Washington counties. Send comments to [email protected].
Click here for more Forefront columns.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
