Hi Weezi,

There are many reasons to abolish the death penalty including innocence, racism, and, as you noted, cost. In Lisa Montgomery's case, although the crime was truly horrific, there is also a larger question of how our government treats people with severe mental illness. Some of that comes down to morality, but some of it is a question of public policy. Should we ever execute people with such exceptional histories of abuse and who suffer from extreme menthal illness, even if they commit a terrble crime? Couldn't we accomplish the goals of public safety and punishment without the death penalty?

Thanks for reading and commenting!