Does capital punishment cost too much?

I stumbled upon an interesting commentary in the New York Times arguing that states should abolish the death penalty. The unknown author makes a claim that the death penalty is, “immoral, does not deter murder and affects minorities disproportionately.” However, to encourage states to abolish the death penalty based solely on the fact that it costs too much is not a good enough reason. Anyone who agrees in the death penalty likely has other reasons for believing that it is an acceptable form of punishment, despite how much it costs. Did you notice that all of the “facts” provided in the article were gathered from the Death Penalty Information Center, which is “a research organization that opposes capital punishment”? I didn’t even know there was such an organization. For those who already oppose the death penalty, this commentary just adds more fuel to their fire. Apparently, the author is conservative and likely targeting fellow conservatives and those who oppose capital punishment. In my opinion, the author is not very credible, as he/she does not provide us with any information about him/herself. Obviously, this editorial is written from a biased perspective. It is concluded that, “If lawmakers cannot find the moral courage to abolish the death penalty, perhaps the economic case will persuade them.” Although I disagree with the author’s stand against capital punishment, he/she does do a good job of bringing this financial issue to everyone’s attention. Assuming that the “facts” presented are accurate, it does give something more to think about.