Long Timers: A Look At Texas Inmates On Death Row 30+ Years

When inmates enter Texas Death Row, their experience may vary from the person in the cell next to them.

Some Texas inmates have been executed swiftly- the quickest from conviction to death being under a year. And some inmates never meet the needle, either dying of natural causes while waiting for it, or, in very rare cases, having their sentence commuted. 

But what about the long-timers? The men who have lived through a lifetime of appeals, stays, or lack of enthusiasm to schedule their execution? Right now, 16 men have sat on Death Row for 30 years or longer.

And yes, Death Row inmates are pricier than the average inmate:

According to Interrogating Justice, the average federal prisoner costs about $37,500 per year compared to a death row prisoner, which would cost about $60,000 to $70,000 per year.

Here's a look at the crimes of the men* who have waited decades for death. Even if they don't get lethal injection, they will almost certainly still die on death row.

*There are currently no women who have been on Death Row for over 30 years.