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In most states, prisons are now carrying out death penalties through lethal injections or gas chambers (I'm not sure if they still do that). Which states still use the electric chair?
Another thing. Why does California always wait many years till the death sentence is carried out? Richard Ramirez has been on death row for 20 years, and Tookie was on for 26 years. In Texas, once people are given a death sentence, its carried out immediately.
The average length on death row in Texas is 10.26 years, in Cali it is about 17.
I don't think Cali has executed anyone in about 3 years because of a lawsuit filed so that would up the time right there.
I know it was filed 2/2006 but don't know if it was settled yet.
Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Virginia reportedly have the electric chair but it's optional. Kentucky and Tennessee make it optional only for those who who were sentenced before 1998. Larry Bill Elliot of Virginia seems to be the only person executed by electrocution in 2009.
To think we even use capital punishment anymore... It's so unethical and hypocritical. Not that everyone can be reformed or anything, but still... And the electric chair no less! Wow!
The electric chair seems to have largely fallen out of favor. In this decade it was used 12 times. That might sound like a lot, but from 1990 to 1999 it was used 72 times and from 1981-1989 it was used 71 times.
The Firing Squad, Gas Chamber, and Hanging have not been used in this decade. The most recent of those three was the Gas Chamber last used in 1999. That source indicates that only eleven women have been executed since 1976 and they were all executed in "The South." (If you count Florida and Oklahoma as Southern)
Judging from what I've read gender and education, of the killer and victim, are pretty good determinants of who gets the death penalty. Probably also income.
Last edited by Thomas R.; 12-12-2009 at 02:29 AM..
Reason: don't want to incite murderous corporate types
To think we even use capital punishment anymore... It's so unethical and hypocritical. Not that everyone can be reformed or anything, but still... And the electric chair no less! Wow!
There is another thread on what you want to talk about.
Judging from what I've read gender and education, of the killer and victim, are pretty good determinants of who gets the death penalty. Probably also income.
About 98% of those on death row are male.
About 93% of murders are committed by males.
The average education level on death row is about 11th grade which is higher than the general prison population.
If you are speaking of who actually has their sentence carried out, the lower the education level the higher probability the sentence will be carried out.
About 98% of those on death row are male.
About 93% of murders are committed by males.
The average education level on death row is about 11th grade which is higher than the general prison population.
If you are speaking of who actually has their sentence carried out, the lower the education level the higher probability the sentence will be carried out.
Oh I don't really remember the study where I read that. It was in one of those major papers or science journals or maybe it was even in the Atlantic. It made sense to me though. Although I would have thought income was a bigger factor than they seemed to indicate.
I suppose the biggest factor might actually be region. Of states that have the death penalty those not in the South or Southwest tend not to use it much. The South seems to be the only ones to still use the electric chair.
There is another thread on what you want to talk about.
This one is just asking which use Ol' Sparky.
If I wanted to talk about it I really would have talked about it, thanks.
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