NCJ Number
68940
Journal
Sociology and Social Research Volume: 64 Issue: 2 Dated: (JANUARY 1980) Pages: 183-207
Date Published
1980
Length
25 pages
Annotation
THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE DEATH PENALTY WAS MEASURED FOR 1910 TO 1962, AND THE RELATIVE DETERRENT EFFECT OF IMPRISONMMENT VERSUS THE DEATH PENALTY WAS DETERMINED FOR 2 YEARS.
Abstract
TO DISCOVER THE DETERRENCE EFFECT OF EXECUTIONS, RATE INDEXES FOR HOMICIDE AND EXECUTIONS WERE COMPUTED FOR EACH STATE FOR EACH YEAR. A CERTAINTY OF EXECUTION INDICATOR WAS THEN COMPUTED BY DIVIDING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF EXECUTIONS BY THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REPORTED HOMICIDES IN EACH CASE. FOR COMPARISONS TO OTHER FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH HOMICIDE RATES, DATA WERE ALSO GATHERED ON (1) PERCENT URBAN POPULATION, (2) PERCENT NONWHITE POPULATION, (3) PERCENT UNEMPLOYMENT, (4) MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, AND (5) MEDIAN EDUCATION. THE EXECUTION-HOMICIDE RELATIONSHIP WAS EXAMINED BY COMPARING THE RATES ON A YEARLY BASIS, AND BY COMPARING THE EXECUTION RATE FOR 1 YEAR WITH THE HOMICIDE RATE OF THE NEXT, IN ORDER TO ACCOUNT FOR A TIME LAG INFLUENCE. FINALLY, TO DISCOVER WHETHER THE DEATH PENALTY PROVIDES A MORE EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO MURDER THAN IMPRISONMENT, THE MEDIAN LENGTHS OF THE PRISON SENTENCES OF CONVICTED MURDERERS WHO WERE RELEASED FROM PRISON IN 2 OF THE STUDY YEARS (DATA FOR OTHER YEARS WERE NOT AVAILABLE) WERE USED TO COMPUTE SEVERITY OF IMPRISONMENT INDICATORS. THE EVIDENCE DID NOT SUPPORT THE CLAIM THAT THE DEATH PENALTY IS AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT TO MURDER. EDUCATION AND INCOME LEVELS AND UNEMPLOYMENT WERE MORE IMPORTANT FACTORS THAN EXECUTIONS IN AFFECTING THE HOMICIDE RATE. SEVERITY OF IMPRISONMENT APPEARED TO HAVE A MORE SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE HOMICIDE RATE THAN THE DEATH PENALTY; HOWEVER, RACE, DOMICILE, AND LEVEL OF INCOME PROVED TO BE EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO THE HOMICIDE RATE THAN THE SEVERITY OF IMPRISONMENT. FOOTNOTES, TABLES, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.