Life on death row

Re “When death penalty means a better life,� Nov. 11

Isn’t it nice that our death row inmates enjoy such luxurious accommodations compared to the rest of the prison populace?

You talk about milking the system. The fact that Billy Joe Johnson requested the death penalty because he knows he won’t be executed for at least 30 years, and is now able to enjoy a life of relative comfort at taxpayer expense, is yet another example of our bureaucratic stupidity.

The estimated cost of $138,000 a year to house these death row inmates (compared to $49,000 a year to house other prisoners in maximum- security facilities) is a huge sum, considering the state’s budget woes.

Folks in Sacramento need to get with the program and either take care of business or put this guy out with the rest of the prison population. No wonder we’re up to our eyeballs in red ink.

Robert Freeman

Camarillo