Many incorrectly believe the death penalty is the cheapest way to get rid of our worst criminals. It is actually cheaper to keep the prisoners locked away for life than to execute them. According to a former jurist from California named Donald McCartin, he says, “It’s 10 times more expensive to kill than to keep them alive.” Many states still use the death penalty because many of their politicians do not know the statistics behind the costs. Prison budgets are being cut in many states that still use the death penalty. We can eliminate these cuts by abolishing the death penalty, this would help to keep many jobs in the industry.