Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Death Penalty Polling: 95- 99% Support by Loved Ones of Capital Murder Victims

updated 3/2023

Death Penalty Polling
Compiled by Dudley Sharp, independent researcher, death penalty expert, former opponent, 832-439-2113, CV at bottom   

95- 99% Death Penalty Support by Loved Ones of Capital Murder Victims
Dudley Sharp, independent researcher, pro death penalty expert, former opponent, 832-439-2113, CV at bottom

Death Penalty Support up to 86%, depending upon question (8/2021)
New Evidence of Broad Support for Death Penalty | RealClearPolicy
Joseph M. Bessette & J. Andrew Sinclair, RealClearPolicy August 16, 2021 https://www.realclearpolicy.com/2021/08/16/new_evidence_of_broad_support_for_death_penalty_790059.html#! 
 
This study reflects well known polls, for the last 15 years, proving much higher  death penalty support than by the oft quoted, much less accurate Gallup, Pew and others, which use "murders", instead of "death eligible, capital murders".
 
Review of other polls, here:

Death Penalty Polling  

Death Penalty Eligible Polling

Death penalty polling should use death penalty eligible cases, not "all" murders, as, wrongly, used by Gallup, Pew and many others.

Example: "Do you support the death penalty in cases of the rape/torture/murder of children?" with answer options of "sometimes", "always" and "never", which would, properly, represent our true death penalty protocols and support or opposition. (1)

 The US executes 0.2% of our murderers. Possibly 10-15% of murders are death penalty eligible.

Death penalty opposition falls by 43% and support rises by 25%, when comparing polls of a specific death penalty eligible crime vs all murders, with "all murders" being the misleading subject of most polls (2).

Polling 95- 99% Death Penalty Support by Loved Ones of Capital Murder Victims (3).

94% of victims' family members said the imposed death sentence should be carried out (4).  

92% of police chiefs support the death penalty (5).

86% Death Penalty Support: Highest Ever - April 2013. World Support Remains High (1). The media did not allow you to see this poll, as detailed.

81% support, across all demographics, for the execution of Oklahoma City bomber, mass murderer Timothy McVeigh, 16% opposed (2).

70% support death penalty for Boston Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (6).

California , arguably, the most liberal state in the nation, California has had three referendum, popular votes to decide if the death penalty should be ended, with each vote supporting the death penalty and, also, most recently, 2016, asking to speed up death penalty appeals.  

A California gubernatorial candidate, (now Governor) Newsom, promised he would respect the pro death penalty vote of the people. He lied, of course (7).  

Western Europe

The majority population of Western Europe supported the execution of Iraqi mass murderer dictator Saddam Hussein. Western Europe is, by far, the most vocal anti death penalty group of governments (EU) in the world. The government vs the people, very much like the recent death penalty repeals in US states, all of which occurred with the majority of their citizens supporting the death penalty - very undemocratic.

Asia

Asia, collectively, has the highest percentage of death penalty countries, with the lowest murder rate.  

 Japan has 81% death penalty support, 9% opposed (1/2020)
https://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0006296099?fp=bcd781790a09f7ada60f202c13470a31 


======
see Closure, Sanction, Murder & Other Violence, at bottom
======

600+ pro death penalty quotes from murder victim's families &
3300+ from some of the greatest thinkers in history
http://prodpquotes.info/ 
======

1) 86% Death Penalty Support: Highest Ever - April 2013 (5). World Support Remains High 95% of Murder Victim's Family Members Support Death Penalty

2) Oklahoma City bomber, mass murderer Timothy McVeigh’s execution was supported by 81%, while 16% opposed (Gallup 5/02/01).

With nearly identical polling dates (Gallup, 6/10/01), there was 65% general support for executions for all murders, with 28% opposed reviewed here:

81% support for execution Oklahoma City bomber, mass murderer Timothy McVeigh, 16% opposed

US Death Penalty Support at 80%: World Support Remains High
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2012/04/us-death-penalty-support-at-80-world.html  

3) 95% Death Penalty Support by Loved Ones of Capital Murder Victims  
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2016/03/95-death-penalty-support-by-capital.html  

4) "Widow of slain policeman adamant in support of death penalty', ReadingEagle.com, December 13, 2015
https://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/widow-of-slain-policeman-adamant-in-support-of-death-penalty  

5) figure 5, pg 15, , THE FRONT LINE: Law Enforcement Views on the Death Penalty , The Death Penalty Information Center,
6) 70% want death penalty for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev if he is convicted of Boston bombing

===================

Closure, Sanction, Murder & Other Violence
Dudley Sharp

Closure and support of the death penalty are very different things. 100% of capital murder survivors can support the death penalty, with 0% finding that they do not get emotional/psychological closure from it, as reality, closely, reflects.

I know many survivors in murder cases.  I have found 0% find emotional/psychological closure, with any sanction.

No one expects that type of closure. Why would they? Their loved ones were unjustly murdered and the murderer is justly sanctioned. Does anyone believe that a rape victim has emotional/psychological closure because their rapist is justly sanctioned? Of course not.

There are three types of closure with execution. 

--   Justice. The survivors find that execution is the most just sanction and when the execution takes place, justice has been served, a claim confirmed by the jury, which imposed the sanction. Such is the same for all survivors or victims in any cases where the survivors and victims approve of the sanction, whether execution or other.

--  Chapter. All survivors/victims are different and have different paths that they must follow. For many, it is going through various stages, which can be described as chapters in a book, chapters which differ as they go through their lives.  The execution/sanction is the closing of the legal chapter.

--  Sparing Innocents.  The trauma of losing a loved one to murder is horrific. Survivors do not want anyone else to face that. The closure of execution is that it is the only sanction which guarantees that the murderer cannot murder or, otherwise, harm, again. It is a call for mercy. Living murderers do harm and murder, again. Executed ones do not.  Basic. Survivors want there to be no chance of more innocents being murdered or otherwise harmed. execution is the only guarantee. Those opposing execution are willing to chance more innocents harmed.

 much more, here:

 IS EXECUTION CLOSURE? Of course.
https://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2013/04/is-execution-closure-of-course.html 
 
 
======
600+ pro death penalty quotes from murder victim's families &
3300+ from some of the greatest thinkers in history
http://prodpquotes.info/ 
====== 
======
 
Additional research, w/sources, w/fact checking/vetting & critical thinking, as required of everyone.  
 
The Death Penalty: Justice & Saving More Innocents
and
Students, Academics & Journalists: Death Penalty Research
======
 
Partial CV
Posted by at

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Prisons, Race, Recidivism, Innocents, Drugs & Crime

USA: Prisons, Race, Recidivism, Innocents, Drugs & Crime 
1/10/2020 
compiled and written by Dudley Sharp, independent researcher, 832-439-2113, CV at bottom

 Can we be smarter on crime? Of course. Only time will tell if we are.

 Please see rehabilitation study - quite disappointing.

 CRIME RATES RISE DRAMATICALLY

 Nearly, every year, from 1960 to 1992, violent crimes rose, in near straight line growth, with violent crime rising by 7 times (288,460 vs 1,932,270) and property crimes 4 times (3 million vs 12 million) . . . (1).

 Both of which have well known drug components . . .

 Minority communities were crying out for more police, arrest and incarceration protection (2).

 Why, particularly, minority communities?

 RACE, ETHNICITY & CRIME STATISTICS

 While drug use is similar between white and some minority communities, violent crime is much higher in some minority communities, which dictates where police protection is most needed, wanted and provided, as detailed:

 For the White–Black comparisons, the Black level is 12.7 times greater than the White level for homicide, 15.6 times greater for robbery, 6.7 times greater for rape, and 4.5 times greater for aggravated assault (3).

 For the Hispanic- White comparison, the Hispanic level is 4.0 times greater than the White level for homicide, 3.8 times greater for robbery, 2.8 times greater for rape, and 2.3 times greater for aggravated assault (3).

 For the Hispanic–Black comparison, the Black level is 3.1 times greater than the Hispanic level for homicide, 4.1 times greater for robbery, 2.4 times greater for rape, and 1.9 times greater for aggravated assault (3).

 (NOTE: Asian Americans are not included because it is a minority with extremely low crime rates)

 AS AN IRON CLAD RULE POLICE WILL ALWAYS CONCENTRATE ON THE MORE VIOLENT AREAS, AS THEY MUST AND WE WANT THEM TO - ARRESTS FOR NON VIOLENT CRIMES WILL, NECESSARILY, BE HIGHER, PER CAPITA, IN THOSE AREAS. THE OUTCOME OF POLICE PRESENCE, NOT, NECESSARILY, RACIAL BIAS.

DEATH PENALTY

 White murderers are twice as likely to be executed as are black murderers and are executed at a rate 41% higher than black death row inmates (4).

 PRISON BEDS INCREASED

 There were 200,000 prison beds from 1960-1976, and then, by 1984 it was 400,000, about 800,000 in 1990s and then about 1.55 million by 2009, growing, directly, with the increase in crime (5)
It can take from 4-7 years, from approval, funding, planning to occupancy, for a new, major prison.

 CRIMES DECREASED

 Both violent and property crimes, dropped, dramatically, in near straight line reduction, with increased incarcerations, and other issues, and were down to 1,186,185 and 8,209,010, respectively, in 2014 (6).

 On a per capita, crime rate basis, violent crimes were 758 in 1992, 372 in 2014 and property crimes were 4,903 in 1992 and 2,574 in 2014 -  about twice as high in the 22 years prior to our highest incarceration numbers.(6).

 In 2014, crime rates dropped to 40-60 year lows (6), depending upon crime category.

 RECIDIVISM

 --   83% of released state prisoners were re-arrested, an average of 5 times, within nine years, with 401,288 released state prisoners re-arrested, an estimated 2 million times. (7).

 Real recidivism rates are higher, as less than 25% of crimes are solved - "Fewer than half of crimes are reported and fewer than half are solved." (8)

 --   94% percent of state prisoners in 1991 had committed a violent crime or been incarcerated or on probation before. Of these prisoners, 45 percent had committed their latest crimes while free on probation or parole. 

 When "supervised" on the streets, they inflicted at least 218,000 violent crimes, including 13,200 murders and 11,600 rapes (more than half of the rapes against children) (9).

 Just those prisoners in 1991.

 --   Patrick A. Langan, senior statistician at the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics,calculated thattripling the prison population from 1975 to 1989 may have reduced "violent crime by 10 to 15 percent below what it would have been," thereby preventing a "conservatively estimated 390,000 murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults in 1989 alone." (9).

 In 1989, alone.

  . . . thereby preventing a non-conservatively estimated 20 million murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults from 1976-2019, with a 750% increase in the prison population.

NOTE: The annual BJS crime vicitmization study finds that about 50% of violent crimes go unreported and the total numbers, from that study, exclude murders, which have averaged around 18,000/yr since the 1970s, or an additional 846,000 violent crimes.

 REHABILITATION

" . . . individuals will desist from crime upon release from prison based on a variety of individual and community level factors not directly related to the availability and/or quality of prison programming." (10)

INNOCENTS CONVICTED

"Combining empirically based estimates for each of these three factors, a reasonable (and possibly overstated) calculation of the wrongful conviction (factually innocent) rate appears, tentatively, to be somewhere in the range of 0.016%–0.062%." (11)

 POLICE

 Four studies out this year (2016) show that if police are biased, it’s in favor of blacks.

"Officers’ use of lethal force following an arrest for a violent felony is more than twice the rate for white as for black arrestees . . .". " . . . officers re three times less likely to shoot unarmed black suspects than unarmed whites." (12)

 Annually, 0.0017% of civilian interactions with police are fatal, or 99.998% non fatal, with 0.1% of police officers involved, or 99.9% not. (12).

 SMART ON CRIME

 " . . . Department of Justice policies since the 1980s directed federal prosecutors to charge the most serious readily provable offense, unless justice required otherwise. It’s undisputed that this charging practice, applied over the course of several Republican and Democratic administrations in recent decades, contributed to the reduction of violent crime by half between 1991 and 2014." (13)

 "The Obama administration’s “Smart on Crime” initiative – touted by former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates in a recent oped in the Washington Post titled “Making America scared again won’t make us safer” – undermined those hard-fought gains in public safety, and ushered in significant increases in violent crime. In 2015, violent crime rose 5.6 percent—the greatest increase since 1991—and included a shocking 10.8 percent increase in homicide rates." (13)

 The rise in murder rates was 23%, from 2014-2016. In 2020, the US experienced the biggest rise in murder rate since the start of national record-keeping in 1960, according to data gathered by the F.B.I. for its annual report on crime - 29%. 

The previous record, one-year increase was a 12.7%, in 1968.

 "The reduced charging and sentencing of thousands of drug traffickers and their early release from prison - all hallmarks of the Holder-Yates ("Smart on Crime") policies of the Obama years – have begun to leave their devastating mark downstream on the safety of communities across the nation. The surge in violent crime should not be surprising. Drug trafficking by its very nature, is a violent crime." (13)

 IT WILL TAKE A DECADE OR MORE TO FIGURE OUT IF THE "STEPS" WE ARE TAKING, NOW, ARE SMART OR NOT SO SMART.  WE CAN'T SAY WE WERE NOT AWARE OF RECIDIVISM RATES OR THE HUGE BENEFITS OF INCREASED INCARCERATION

 REALITY: DRUG CASES

 15% of prisoners had a drug offense as the most serious crime (14).

 For non-trafficking drug offenses, 51% pled to a felony, 8% to a misdemeanor, 27% dismissed, 13% other disposition - non went to trial. (15)

 Near 50%, maybe more, may be able to clean their record upon successful completion of their sentences, I suspect many, if not most, of those incarcerated, had multiple, prior infractions, given two chances or more, prior to incarceration.

 It would be interesting to find out, how many of those drug cases pled down from more serious charges, inclusive of violent crimes and/or possession of a firearm and how many had prior arrests and convictions. 

 At least 95% of drug cases are resolved by a plea.

 ======
Can we be smarter on crime? Of course. Only time will tell if we are and none can say they were not aware of recidivism rates and the benefits of incarceration.
======

 1)  United States Crime Rates 1960-2017,  using FBI data, 
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm


2) "The Misplaced Criticism of Clinton's Crime Bill", Ronald Brownstein, The Atlantic, Apr 14, 2016,
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/04/crime-bill-legacy/478089


3)REASSESSING TRENDS IN BLACK VIOLENT CRIME, 1980.2008: SORTING OUT THE "HISPANIC EFFECT" IN UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS ARRESTS, NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMIZATION SURVEY OFFENDER ESTIMATES, AND U.S. PRISONER COUNTS, See pages 208-209, FN 5, DARRELL STEFFENSMEIER, BEN FELDMEYER, CASEY T. HARRIS, JEFFERY T. ULMER, Criminology, Volume 49, Issue 1, Article first published online: 24 FEB 2011,  http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-9125.2010.00222.x/pdf

4)  RACE & THE DEATH PENALTY: A REBUTTAL TO THE RACISM CLAIMS,
http://prodpinnc.blogspot.com/2012/07/rebuttal-death-penalty-racism-claims.html

 5) Trends in U.S. Corrections, U.S. State and Federal Prison Population, 1925-2017, Sentencing Project, 
https://www.sentencingproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Trends-in-US-Corrections.pdf )

6) United States Crime Rates 1960-2017,  using FBI data, 
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm

7) Update on Prisoner Recidivism: A 9-Year Follow-up Period (2005-2014), May 2018,  U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Special Report, NCJ 250975,
8) "Most violent and property crimes in the U.S. go unsolved", PewResearch, 3/1/2017, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/01/most-violent-and-property-crimes-in-the-u-s-go-unsolved/

9) "Prisons are a Bargain, by Any Measure", John J. DiIulio, Jr., Opinion, New York Times, 1/16/1996

10) On Behalf of the First Step Act Independent Review Committee, December 2019,
The Effectiveness of Prison Programming:A Review of the Research Literature Examining the Impact of Federal, State, and Local Inmate Programming on Post-Release Recidivism, DR. JAMES M. BYRNE, Professor and Associate Chair, School of Criminology and Justice Studies, University of Massachusetts at Lowell, https://firststepact-irc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/IRC-Effectiveness-of-Prison-Programming.pdf

11) Overstating America's Wrongful Conviction Rate? Reassessing the Conventional Wisdom About the Prevalence of Wrongful Convictions (2018), Cassell, Paul G., 60 Ariz. L. Rev. 815 (2018); University of Utah College of Law Research Paper No. 291. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3276185 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3276185 

 12)  COMMENTARY: The Myth of the Racist Cop, Heather MacDonald, The Wall Street Journal 10/24/16,https://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/myth-racist-cop-9391.html

 13) "Law Enforcement leaders: How smart was Obama's 'Smart on Crime' initiative? Not very", Lawrence J. Leiser, president National Association of Assistant United States Attorneys. Nathan Catura, president, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. Bob Bushman, president National Narcotics Officers’ Associations’ Coalition. Al Regnery, chairman, Law Enforcement Action Network. Ron Hosko president, Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund. Harold Eavenson, President, National Sheriffs’ Association. Larry Langberg, President, Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI, Fox News Opinion, July 5, 2017

 14) p 15, Offense Characteristics of State Prisoners, Prisoners in 2017 Jennifer Bronson, Ph.D., and E. Ann Carson, Ph.D., BJS Statisticians, April, 2019,https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/p17.pdf

 15) See Table 21, pg 24, Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 2009 - Statistical Tables | December 2013,https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/fdluc09.pdf


Posted by at
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)