NCJ Number
117844
Editor(s)
M A Siegel,
C D Foster,
N R Jacobs
Date Published
1988
Length
80 pages
Annotation
After providing a general history of capital punishment in the United States, this book examines recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings pertaining to capital punishment and discusses other issues related to capital punishment in the United States and throughout the world.
Abstract
Issues discussed in relevant U.S. Supreme Court cases pertain to the administration of death-penalty statutes; whether capital punishment per se is cruel and unusual punishment; the prediction of future criminal activity; mitigating circumstances; the constitutionality of "death-qualified" juries; the option of convicting under a lesser, noncapital charge; and the legality of executing juveniles. Other pertinent court decisions considered relate to capital convictions of persons not at the crime scene, psychiatric testimony, and the issue of race and mental condition in capital cases. A review of death penalty statutes by jurisdiction is provided, followed by a discussion of the pros and cons of public and private executions. Remaining topics discussed are execution procedures, conditions for death row inmates, public attitudes toward capital punishment, capital punishment around the world, and the pros and cons of capital punishment. Historical statistics on capital punishment in the United States are provided. Subject index.