SOURCES FOR FINANCIAL COSTS

1. $135 million

Costs of death penalty trials (20 million) + cost of death penalty appeals (54.4 million) + costs of death penalty confinement (60.93 million) = 135.33

$60.93 million is derived from the CCFAJ estimate of the cost of housing death penalty inmates ($90,000 per year) times the number of inmates (677) currently on death row. CCFAJ estimates that housing the regular prison population costs $34,150 per inmate per year.

When the CCFAJ published their report there were 670 inmates on death row, but as of September 16, 2008 there are 677 inmates. For our estimate of $135 million we used the inmate number of 677.

California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice. "Report and Recommendations on the Administration of the Death Penalty in California." June 30, 2008. http://www.ccfaj.org/documents/reports/dp/official/FINAL%20REPORT%20DEATH%20PENALTY.pdf, pg 84.

2. 677 as of August 18, 2008.

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. "Death Row Tracking System: Condemned Inmate List." Division of Adult Operations. August 18th, 2008. http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Reports_Research/docs/CondemnedInmateListSecure.pdf, pg 27.

3. $11.5 million

4. $500,000

This is a conservative estimate for the cost of a death penalty trial from the CCFAJ. The Commission also reports another figure $1.1 million for the cost of trials (an estimate based on the difference between the least expensive death penalty trial and the most expensive non-death penalty trial in California). We adopt the $1.1 million estimate for our social cost calculations in order to be more realistic about the impact of the death penalty.

5. $20 million

$500,000 (additional cost of trial) x 40 trials per year = $20 million

To maintain an average of 20 death sentences per year, 40 trials per year would be required.

California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice. "Report and Recommendations on the Administration of the Death Penalty in California." June 30, 2008.

http://www.ccfaj.org/documents/reports/dp/official/FINAL%20REPORT%20DEATH%20PENALTY.pdf, pg 80.

6. 39 sentenced from San Diego County

The 39 inmates from San Diego County are in the "Condemned Inmate List" from CDCR. Since the inmates are alphabetical by last name, one will have to manually paste the data into a Microsoft Excel sheet and sort the data by county.

7. $9.9 million

A death penalty trial is estimated to be $1.1 million. This is an estimate based on the difference between the least expensive death penalty trial and the most expensive non-death penalty trial in California. The three most expensive cases in California were the Charles Ng trial ($10.9 million for Calaveras County), Donald Bowcutt ($5 million for Siskiyou County), and the Scott Peterson trial ($3.2 million for Stanislaus County).

9 death penalty cases x $1.1 million= $9.9 million

8. $42.9 million

39 (death penalty inmates sentenced form SD) x $1.1 million (estimate for the cost of death penalty trial) = $42.9 million.

39 inmates

$1.1 million

9. $54.4 million

$54.4 million is the cost of post-trial review (appeals). The CCFAJ estimates this based on the budgets of the California Supreme Court, the State Public Defender, and the California Habeas Corpus Resource Center, so we cannot adjust this number to account for an increase in the prison population from 670 to 677.

10. $90,000

Confinement on death row costs $90,000 as compared to regular confinement for non-death row inmates which costs 34,150.

11. $60.9 million

677 (death penalty inmates) x $90,000 (confinement cost for death row inmates) = $60.9 million

677

$90,000

12. $115 million, post-conviction cost incurred after the initial death penalty trial.

$60.9 million (housing cost) + $54.4 million (appeals cost) = $115 million

$60.9 million

677 inmates x $90,000 (housing cost) = $60.9 million

677 inmates

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. "Death Row Tracking System: Condemned Inmate List." Division of Adult Operations. August 18th, 2008.

http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Reports_Research/docs/CondemnedInmateListSecure.pdf, pg 27.

$90,000

California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice. "Report and Recommendations on the Administration of the Death Penalty in California." June 30, 2008.

http://www.ccfaj.org/documents/reports/dp/official/FINAL%20REPORT%20DEATH%20PENALTY.pdf, pg 82.

$54.4 million

13. 14 inmates executed

Since 1978, 14 inmates from California's death row have been executed, 13 in California and 1 in Missouri.

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. "Condemned Inmates Who Have Died Since 1978." Office of Public and Employee Communications. October 9, 2008. http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Reports_Research/docs/CIWHD.pdf, pg 2.

14. $2.4 million

27 years (time Mr. Hamilton has spent on death row since initial sentencing) x 90,000 (cost of confinement per year) = $2.43 million

27 years

2008 (current year)-1981 (date of Hamilton's sentence) = 27 years

$90,000

Confinement on death row costs $90,000 versus $34,150 for housing the regular population.

California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice. "Report and Recommendations on the Administration of the Death Penalty in California." June 30th, 2008. http://www.ccfaj.org/documents/reports/dp/official/FINAL%20REPORT%20DEATH%20PENALTY.pdf, pg 82.

15. $922,000

27 years (time Mr. Hamilton has spent on death row since initial sentencing) x 34, 150 (normal cost of confinement) = $922,000

27 years

2008 (current year)-1981 (date of Hamilton's sentence) = 27 years

$34, 150

16. $3.5 million

$90,000 (in confinement costs per year) x 39 inmates= $3.510

90,000

Confinement on death row costs $90,000 versus $34,150 for housing the regular population.

39 inmates