MURDER AND THE DEATH PENALTY

• NCJ Number: 18134
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 65 Issue: 3 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1974) Pages: 405-423
• Author(s): W C BAILEY
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 19 pages
• Corporate Author: Williams and Wilkins Co
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

REPORT ON A STUDY WHICH COMPARED THE RATES OF FIRST AND SECOND DEGREE MURDER IN DEATH PENALTY AND ABOLITION STATES FOR THE YEARS 1967 AND 1968.

Abstract

ALSO EXAMINED WERE THE CRIME RATES OF CONTIGUOUS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AND ABOLITION STATES AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OFFENSE RATES AND THE CERTAINTY OF PUNISHMENT. IT WAS FOUND THAT OFFENSE RATES WERE CONSISTENTLY HIGHER IN DEATH PENALTY THAN ABOLITIONIST JURISDICTIONS. RATES FOR FIRST AND SECOND DEGREE MURDER, AS WELL AS ALL HOMICIDES, WERE CONSISTENTLY HIGHER FOR RETENTIONIST STATES THAN THEY WERE FOR THEIR CONTIGUOUS ABOLITIONIST NEIGHBORS, AND EXECUTION RATES IN DEATH PENALTY STATES WERE ONLY SLIGHTLY INVERSELY RELATED TO RATES FOR ALL THREE OFFENSES.