NCJ Number
176438
Journal
Journal of Crime and Justice Volume: 21 Issue: 2 Dated: 1998 Pages: 17-36
Date Published
1998
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Factors that contribute to public attitudes supporting capital punishment in Kentucky were examined by means of a telephone survey of Kentucky residents in October 1989.
Abstract
Random-digit dialing was used to select 811 households. Black residents were oversampled to permit detailed subgroup analyses. Results revealed that the overall level of support for the death penalty was about 69 percent. However, several factors influenced support for capital punishment. These included the nature of the homicide (the degree of premeditation), the personal characteristics of the offender, and the circumstances surrounding the offense. Findings indicated that the death penalty in Kentucky should be limited to cases involving multiple victims. In addition, the use of drugs or alcohol prior to the offense should be considered an aggravating rather than a mitigating factor. The Kentucky experience also suggested that polling data should be shared with the legislature rather than the courts and that factors that influence attitudes toward capital punishment must be considered in the determination of public policy. The Kentucky legislature enacted a law in 1990 that forbade the execution of defendants who were determined to be seriously mentally retarded; in 1994, it passed legislation that set 16 as the minimum age for capital punishment. Tables and 47 references (Author abstract modified)