is this an urban myth?

[d9f1c7]

Apparently a black man in the US on death row has a better life expectency.

I've done some googling and it seems it is true that the best way to increase the life expectency of a black person in the US is to senetence them to death!

[Hopkirk]

Should I be surprised?

[Mamyalynne]

Well presumably if the said man is mixing in highly dangerous criminal circles, he will be safer in solitary and less likely to be shot etc..

[Hopkirk]

Well to be fair it would be surprising if I didn't know that the yanks have hundreds on death row, but hardly execute anybody hese days.

One day they will join the civilised world in getting rid of the death penalty totally.

[FredPuli43]

He might be on death row for 17 years, as one convict in a recent TV documentary had been.The practice of keeping men on death row for years seems universal there. Inside, they'll get proper health care, I expect, and they are certainly taken away from a dangerous style of life.

[wildwood]

I believe a convict concerned has to be in good health before the death sentence can be carried out.