The effectiveness of the punishment is also in question. According to a survey conducted by the Judicial Council Death Penalty Advisory Committee, “they found that defense costs for death penalty trials averaged $395,762 per case, compared to $98,963 per case when the death penalty had not been request". In California, more than $4 billion has been spent on the death penalty since it was introduced in 1978. Additionally, the state incurs $184 million in costs for death row security, prosecution and legal representation. It is believed that by 2030 the cost of the death penalty will reach a staggering $9 billion. (Judicial Council Advisory Committee on the Death Penalty, 2014) This means that since the death penalty is in place, the cost of everything involved in the case is significantly higher than life imprisonment. Life in prison is the most cost-effective way to manage convicted people