DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE DEATH PENALTY - A STATISTICAL TEST

• NCJ Number: 30741
• Journal: Stanford Law Review Volume: 28 Issue: 1 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1975) Pages: 61-80
• Author(s): P PASSELL
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 20 pages
• Corporate Author: Stanford University
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS ARTICLE OUTLINES A STATISTICAL TEST OF THE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT DETERRENCE HYPOTHESIS USING A MULTIVARIATE REGRESSION ANALYSIS ON CROSS-SECTION STATE DATA FOR THE UNITED STATES FOR THE CENSUS YEARS 1950 AND 1960.

Abstract

THE ANALYSIS ACCOUNTS FOR AS MANY OF THE MAJOR, QUANTIFIABLE FACTORS AS POSSIBLE THAT EXPLAIN STATE-TO-STATE VARIATIONS IN MURDER RATES, THEN TESTS WHETHER STATE TO STATE VARIATIONS IN EXECUTION RATES ALSO ADD EXPLANATORY POWER TO THE EQUATION. FIVE VARIABLES - CONVICTION RATES, AVERAGE PRISON SENTENCES, POVERTY, AGE, AND RURAL-URBAN MIGRATION - WERE FOUND TO EXPLAIN A GREAT DEAL OF THESE STATE-TO-STATE MURDER RATE VARIATIONS. VARIATIONS IN EXECUTION RATES, HOWEVER, ADDED NO EXPLANATORY POWER. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT BASED ON THIS DATA AND ANALYSIS, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF AN EXECUTION DETERRENT. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)