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Richard Piatt ReportingThe subject of the death penalty is sparking strong opinions in Utah, even as jurors near our nation's Capitol consider the death penalty for Zacarias Moussaoui. No one has been executed in Utah since 1999, but results of an exclusive survey find Utahns are still strongly supportive of Capitol punishment.
The results are overwhelming in support of the death penalty in this state. Utah's last execution was seven years ago, but the subject is still relevant here. There are nine inmates on death row right now.
Survey USA asked 500 people, exclusively for Eyewitness News, their opinions on the death penalty. 79 percent told us they support Capitol punishment. Only 14 percent say they oppose it.
Again, in Utah there are nine men, each sentenced to death in Capitol murder cases, all sitting in the Super Maximum security facility in Draper. Each of their cases is on appeal, which is why their lives are 'on hold'.
Of those nine, four have selected the firing squad as their preferred way to die. They will be the last executed that way; the Legislature changed the law two years ago. Our poll shows most people do not think the firing squad should be used as a death penalty option. Still, 41 percent in the sample think the firing squad is okay.
Over the years, opinions about the death penalty have changed. Those who oppose Capitol punishment hope time will continue to work in their favor.
Dani Eyer, ACLU of Utah: "We did execute juveniles and the mentally ill often over the last 100 years. That's no longer the case. It may well be that eventually rendering the death penalty at all will be seen as inhumane."
Housing death row inmates is actually cheaper than housing others in the prison. That's mostly because those few are not allowed to participate in expensive counseling and education programs. In fact, the Department of Corrections says there are fewer problems with death row inmates than with the general population.
And, as far as the Department goes, everything about housing and executing death row inmates is part of their job. Changing that will take action from the Legislature.
