As of April 1, 2015, there are 3,002 inmates currently on death row. Greg Wilhoit spent five years of his life on death row for a crime he was wrongly convicted for. On June 1, 1985, Greg’s wife Kathy was viciously murdered in Oklahoma. About a year later Greg was arrested and charged with Kathy’s murder because two dental “experts”, one whom had been out dental school less than a year, testified that a bite mark found on Kathy’s body matched Greg’s teeth. While on trial Greg was assigned a new attorney which helped him to get a new trial, during the new trial forensic odonatologists examined the bite mark and testified that it could not be mark’s and was let out on bail. Capital punishment is one of the most controversial issues in the criminal justice system. Some of the problems with the use of the death penalty are execution prices are very high, it is an unjust punishment, and mistakes can happen and an innocent person might be put to death. According to Richard Dieter, …show more content…
With the cost execution being so high the money should be used to help create alternatives such as mental institutions, jobs for inmates and also drug and alcohol treatment. Creating mental institutions will help evaluate those who are sick or are in need of help. How many inmates were mentally unstable at time of committing their crime and put to death. People who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol typically don’t make the proper judgement therefore they are more susceptible in committing hideous crimes. These people can usually be rehabilitated with treatment programs. Inmates can acquire jobs while serving time such as creating license plates, doing laundry and plumbing. Positions of this nature should be offered to more inmates instead of a select few, subsequently when they return to society they’ll be more