Has It Been Worth Nearly $2 Million to Keep Charles Manson Alive 45 Years in Prison?

The 1960s was one of the most damaging decades America has ever experienced. It was the decade that saw the Supreme Court of the United States ban God, prayer, Jesus and the Bible from public schools, government and many public institutions. As a result of eliminating God, the 1960s saw the rise of hippies, free love, open and promiscuous sex, drug use, riots and protests and many other aspects of life that are anti-God and anti-Bible. I like to refer to the 1960s as the decade of decline that has helped bring America to the edge of despair and ruination that we find ourselves upon today.

During the 1960s, many small cults found some followers. More often than not, these cults had a charismatic leader and was driven by drugs and anti-social agendas. One such cult was the Manson Family, led by the infamous Charles Manson. He was caught up in the music and drugs of the time and led his followers astray.

In 1969, Manson led his so-called family on a five-week killing spree. They got the most attention and media coverage for the murder of actress Sharon Tate. In 1971, Manson was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to 9 concurrent life sentences, meaning he would never be released from prison alive.

At the time of his conviction, Manson was about 37 years old. He is now 82 and still in prison. Manson has made a lot of news lately over the reports of his being ill and in need of hospitalization. Sadly, a media frenzy has been taking place outside the hospital as everyone seems to want to know the latest on the notorious murderer.

I wonder if California tax payers know how much it has cost them to keep Manson alive in prison for the past 45 years? If they knew, would they say it was worth it?

According to one website, in 2009, it cost an average of around $47,000 a year per prisoner in the California penal system. The cost figure was based on health care, administration, operations, security, support and rehabilitation programs. The same report also stated that the yearly cost has nearly doubled since the turn of the 21^st century. Figuring on 45 years in prison, the cost of Manson’s imprisonment has to be approaching the $2 million mark and mind you that is just one prisoner.

I wonder how many California residents were making $47,000 a year in 2009? I don’t live in California, but I wasn’t making that much in 2009 and it bewilders me why taxpayers have to pay so much to keep people in prison who will never be set free.

In 1972, a year after Manson was convicted and sentence, a liberal court overturned California’s death penalty, but it was reinstated in 1974. I’ve seen different reports but on average, a person sentenced to death generally spends about 15 years on death row before being executed. Many die of natural and unnatural causes before that time.

But so many argue that the death penalty is cruel and inhumane. I counter with two questions. First, wasn’t it cruel and inhumane what the victim(s) went through? Second, many of the same bleeding heart liberals say it’s cruel and inhumane to keep a wild animal in a cage for long periods of time, so isn’t life in prison more cruel and inhumane than being rightfully executed?

Had Manson been sentenced to death for his crimes, as he should have been, he would have met his fate about 30 years ago, and saved California taxpayers over a million dollars. Had Manson received a death sentence and been executed 30 years ago, you wouldn’t find all of the groupies and morbid media hovering around a hospital like a school of hungry piranha, just waiting for a taste of blood.