The average cost to house an inmate in Texas prisons is $47.50 per day, according to Michelle Lyons, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Thus it would cost about $17,340 to house an inmate for a year and $693,500 for 40 years, far less than even part of the death penalty costs.
Like many modern plastics, Bakelite was lightweight and durable, and it could be molded into nearly infinite shapes, so its use quickly expanded as manufacturers realized its potential. Consumers primarily were attracted to its aesthetic qualities: a sleek, stylish look coupled with a substantial, high-end feel.
Bakelite feels heavier when compared to some other types of plastics, like celluloid as one example. Hold another type of plastic you have identified in one hand, and a piece you know to be Bakelite of approximately the same size in the other. You'll often notice the heavier feel of Bakelite. Again, more testing will be required to confirm, but this is another good point of departure when out shopping in the field.