text: why does it cost more to execute death row inmates, than to feed, clothe and house them for life?   the death penalty is much more expensive than its closest alternative, which is life imprisonment with no parole. capital trials are longer and more expensive at every step than other murder trials. pre-trial motions, expert witness investigations, jury selection, and the necessity for two trials--one on guilt and one on sentencing--make capital cases extremely costly, even before the appeals process begins. guilty pleas are almost unheard of when the punishment is death. in addition, many of these trials result in a life sentence rather than the death penalty, so the state pays the cost of life imprisonment on top of the expensive trial.