Public Opinion About the Death Penalty

A Crisis of Confidence: Americans' Doubts About the Death Penalty. Because of mistakes and a lack of efficacy, the death penalty is losing the confidence of the American public, according to a new poll by RT Strategies. Almost 40% of the U.S. population believe they would be excluded as jurors in capital cases and a strong majority (58%) believe it is time for a moratorium on the death penalty while the process undergoes a careful review. The poll was commissioned by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) (June 9, 2007).

On the Front Line: Law Enforcement Views on the Death Penalty - A 1995 Hart Research Poll of police chiefs in the U.S. found that the majority of the chiefs do not believe that the death penalty is an effective law enforcement tool.

Sentencing for Life: Americans Embrace Alternatives to the Death Penalty - Public support for the death penalty drops to below 50 percent when voters are offered alternative sentences. More people would support life without parole plus restituion to the victim's family than would choose the death penalty (1993).