NCJ Number
46855
Date Published
1978
Length
3 pages
Annotation
STATISTICS REGARDING THE NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF PRISONERS UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1977, ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
ONLY ONE EXECUTION OCCURRED DURING 1977, AND THIS WAS THE FIRST IN THE UNITED STATES IN ALMOST 10 YEARS. ALTHOUGH IT WAS THE ONLY EXECUTION ACTUALLY CARRIED OUT, 133 PERSONS WERE SENTENCED TO DEATH DURING THE YEAR UNDER STATUTES PASSED BY STATES IN RESPONSE TO THE SUPREME COURT'S 1972 RULING LIMITING THE SCOPE OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT LAWS. DURING THE SAME PERIOD, 152 PERSONS HAD THEIR DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED, IN MANY CASES BECAUSE THE LAWS UNDER WHICH THEY HAD BEEN SENTENCED HAD BEEN REVOKED. THE NET EFFECT OF THESE ACTIONS WAS A REDUCTION IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PRISONERS UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH -- 433 ON DECEMBER 31, 1977, COMPARED TO 463 THE PREVIOUS YEAR. ALL OF THESE WERE SENTENCED UNDER STATE LAWS; THE ONE FEDERAL PRISONER ON DEATH ROW AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR RECEIVED A COMMUTED SENTENCE BY THE END OF THE YEAR. EIGHT WOMEN WERE ON DEATH ROW BY THE END OF 1977. THE SOUTH HELD THE LARGEST PROPORTION OF THE COUNTRY'S DEATH-ROW INMATES, ALMOST THREE OUT OF EVERY FIVE, WHILE THE NORTH CENTRAL AND WESTERN REGIONS EACH ACCOUNTED FOR ABOUT ONE OF EVERY FIVE. A TOTAL OF 22 STATES HELD PRISONERS UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH AT THE END OF 1977, ALTHOUGH ONLY 16 HAD DEATH-ROW INMATES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. FIVE OF THE TWENTY-TWO STATES -- FLORIDA, OHIO, TEXAS, CALIFORNIA, AND GEORGIA -- TOGETHER ACCOUNTED FOR NEARLY FOUR-FIFTHS OF THE NATION'S DEATH-ROW PRISONERS. ON THE REPORTING DATE, 33 STATES AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAD STATUTORY PROVISIONS THAT AUTHORIZED THE DEATH PENALTY. TABLES PRESENT DATA CONCERNING THE MOVEMENT OF PRISONERS UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH IN 1977, BY REGION AND BY STATE, AND THE STATUS OF DEATH PENALTY STATUTES BY JURISDICTION. DATA PRESENTED IN THE REPORT WERE COLLECTED BY THE U.S. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS. (VDA)