NCJ Number
243874
Date Published
October 2013
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This study examined the disparate use of the death penalty among a small percentage of counties in the United States.
Abstract
This study, conducted by the Death Penalty Information Center, examined the disparate use of the death penalty among a small percentage of counties in the United States. Findings from the study include the following: since 1976, only 2 percent of counties in States with death penalty laws in this country have been responsible for the majority of cases leading to executions; only 2 percent of these counties are responsible for the majority of today's death row population and recent death sentences; as of January 1, 2013, just 20 percent of these counties housed all 3,125 inmates on death row; and the counties with the highest rates of death penalty use had some of the highest reversal rates due to serious errors in prosecuting the cases. The study also revealed that the application of the death sentence was more dependent upon the location of the county rather than the severity of the crime, as well as the practices, policies, habits, and political ideologies of local prosecutors, judges, and jurors. The study also examined the costs associated with the use of the death penalty and found that on average, taxpayers have paid approximately $20 million per execution since reinstatement of the practice in 1976. As a result of these costs, several States have recently chosen to end the use of the death penalty in prosecuting cases. The report also discusses the high rate of racial disparity in the use of the death penalty. Figures, tables, and appendix