NCJ Number
87365
Journal
Indian Journal of Criminology Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1983) Pages: 18-27
Date Published
1983
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Interviews with a sample of 159 Florida high school students before and after Spinkelink's execution and the presenting of graphic descriptions of various types of executions showed relatively little change in attitudes toward capital punishment.
Abstract
Initially, the sample was surveyed about attitudes toward capital punishment (tl). The same sample was then exposed to written descriptions of three methods of execution, after which the subjects were again asked about their attitudes toward the use of the death penalty (t2). Finally, a smaller subsample (n=68) of the original respondents was surveyed immediately after the Spinklink execution (t3). AT t1, 52 percent of the sample supported the death penalty, with only 14 percent flatly rejecting its use. The remainder of the sample was ambivalent. Thirty-one percent felt that the death penalty scared people into not committing serious crimes. After t2, 59 percent (a slight increase) supported the use of the death penalty. At t3, 50 percent of the subsample felt that Florida should continue using the death penalty, and 68 percent felt that society has the right to execute people for certain types of crimes. Forty-three percent felt that the death penalty does scare people into not committing certain types of offenses. Catholic students, contrasted with Protestant students, were more likely to believe that the death penalty scares people into not committing crimes and tended to be more supportive of the death penalty after reading the descriptions of executions. Black and female respondents tended to oppose the use of capital punishment. Tabular data and 18 footnotes are provided.