The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is the punishment of execution given to someone who has committed a capital crime. Capital crimes include murder, treason, genocide, and many other serious crimes (fact 1 of 3). Over 1,000 people were executed in the United States between 1977 and 2009. 32 states allow the death penalty and 17 do not; The last state to outlaw the death penalty was Maryland. The death penalty involves many debatable issues such as cost, religion, deterrence, the possibility of executing an innocent person and the cruelty of the punishment. The death penalty is cruel and the need for punishment is unjust, so it is unacceptable and should not be carried out. Many argue that cost is not a reason to end the death penalty and that, despite the high price, it is necessary. Some would certainly argue that life without parole cases cost more than death penalty cases over time (Top 2 of 4). This is because these prisoners must be paid to be cared for for many years, while those sentenced to death spend less time in prison. Numerous studies have stated that death penalty cases cost more than life without parole, however “Justice for All estimates that LWOP cases will cost between $1.2 and $3.6 million more than equivalent death penalty cases. death". The manner in which the person is executed is one of the major factors that explains the considerable cost of the death penalty. There are other, cheaper methods of execution, such as hanging and reusing rope or the use of weapons by a firing squad (stage 2 of 5). It has also been said that if the stages of execution are handled correctly and effectively, the cost of execution is less than that of caring for a murderer for life. In...... middle of paper......n Post, 11 June 2007. Web. 04 December 2013. "The case against the death penalty". Aclu.org. American Civil Liberties Union, December 11, 2012. Web. December 9, 2013. “The Innocent and the Death Penalty.” Innocenceproject.org/. Innocence Project, n.d. Web. 07 December 2013. "Top 10 Pros and Cons." ProCon.org. Np, 13 Apr 2009. Web. 03 Dec 2013. Williams, Carol J. “The Death Penalty Costs California $184 Million a Year, Study Says.” Latimes.com. Los Angeles Times, June 20, 2011. Web. November 18. 2013. .