The cost of the death penalty is simply gigantic. Although it seems like feeding and caring for a prisoner for the rest of their lives would be more expensive than simply killing them, this is far from the case. In capital cases, there are many appeals opportunities and trials. This is done to minimize the chances of an innocent person being executed. However, this can end up costing states and counties millions of dollars per case. Imprisoning a criminal for life is actually far cheaper than executing them.