Research Note: The Death Sentence and Inmate Attitudes

Abstract

Public opinion surveys show that the American public favors capital punishment. This article examines the attitudes of 307 inmates about capital punishment. The respondents, especially the most violent offenders, favored capital punishment for some crimes when applied to others, but not to their own criminal activity. Moreover, they did not see capital punishment as a deterrent and implied that it reinforces their violent perspectives. Incarcerated offenders apparently feel as strongly as other citizens about capital punishment, but perhaps for different reasons. The findings suggest that additional studies be conducted with violent offenders to determine if any punishment can deter violent crime.

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