Death Penalty Statistics From 1976 (new DP) through 2012: 600,000 + homicides in the US (see next slides for more details) 8,000 + death sentences in the US (about 1 in 75 homicides results in a death sentence) 1320 executions in the US (about 1 in 500 homicides results in an execution)

Death Penalty Statistics Homicide Rates: Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics:

Death Penalty Statistics Homicides: Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics:

Death Penalty Statistics Global Homicide Rates

Death Penalty Statistics Homicide rates are consistently lower in non-death penalty states than in death penalty states

Death Penalty Statistics Summary: US Homicides Annually about 5 homicides per 100,000 population or 15,000 per year. Slightly below global average but much higher than other prosperous countries. (Canada, Japan, Europe, etc. average rates of per 100k) Difference is gun-related homicides, especially handguns. Most US homicides involve one young male offender (20s and 30s) and one young male victim (also 20s and 30s) who know each other (family, friends, neighbors), in a non-criminal context (arguments, disputes, etc.). Most offenders and victims are white, but minorities have disproportionately high homicide rates. Homicides are also heavily “intra-racial” (about 80-90% varying by time and place). This is mainly because homicide is usually an acquaintance crime and housing (neighborhoods) in the US is still heavily segregated. So whites kill whites, blacks kill blacks, etc. and inter-racial homicides are rare.

Death Penalty Statistics Criminologists often characterize the “typical” US homicide as involving “Arguments, alcohol, and a handy gun” This is why most homicides are not death penalty cases. Homicide rates dropped in the 1990s much more than general crime rates after the ban on the import of cheap guns from China and Eastern Europe (sometimes called “Saturday night specials”) went into effect, making guns less available to poorer young males, especially juveniles.

Death Penalty Statistics Recently abolished: Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York States are abolishing the death penalty

Death Penalty Statistics Rapidly declining death sentences

Death Penalty Statistics Death row – as of October 1, 2012

Death Penalty Statistics Executions remain at about half the peak levels of the 1990s Update: there were 43 executions by the end of 2012

Death Penalty Statistics Minority offender, white victim cases are heavily over-represented in executions and death sentencing, while minority offender, minority victim cases remain heavily under-represented. This is a long-term historical pattern of discrimination in the US.

Death Penalty Statistics Some data on executions

Death Penalty Statistics Top 10 executing states

Death Penalty Statistics In 2012, 43 people in 9 states were executed – 15 in Texas 6 each in Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Arizona 3 each in Florida and Ohio 2 in South Dakota 1 each in Delaware and Idaho 24 dp states had no executions US Military and Federal Government had no executions All of those executed in 2012 were men Lethal injection was used in all 43 executions

Death Penalty Statistics Of people executed in 2012: 26 were white 11 were black 6 were Latino Of the victims in 2012 execution cases: 31 were white 7 were black 8 were Latino ( victims are counted by case because some cases involved multiple victims of more than one race/eth) Combination of offender/victim race/ethnicity in 2012 executions: W/W 23 W/M 5 M/M 10 M/W 8

Death Penalty Statistics Summary of stats and patterns Death row goes to zero with Furman - steady buildup comes from increasing sentences thru 1970s & 1980s + very slow incr in exec Both death sentences and executions leveled off in the 1990s, followed by sharp decreases in both since the late 1990s Two features continued from the early 1980s and 1990s: Southernization of the dp Racialization of the dp (min/white)

Death Penalty Statistics Furman: arbitrary, capricious, discrim DP concentrated in urban areas of southern and western states with large minority pops - (Hous, LA, Atlanta, Phoenix, etc.) Smaller numbers in Phil, Cleveland, Chicago, etc. Very rare everywhere else!! Who? Young, Poor, Males, Uneducated, Unattached, Disprop min/white, Mostly not repeat offenders (90% +)

Death Penalty Statistics The death penalty is declining in the US for a number of reasons that vary somewhat from state to state: The high cost of the DP and the fiscal crisis in most states. Evidence of continuing class, race, and ethnic discrimination in virtually all DP states. The confirmation by DNA testing of substantial numbers of “mistakes” -- innocent people convicted and sentenced to death. The continuing trend in international law designating capital punishment in itself as a violation of basic human rights.