Craig Haney, professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has just published a new book, Death By Design: Capital Punishment as a Social Psychological System (Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2005). Haney explores a number of areas that skew death penalty sentencing in America:
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Jury selection–By systematically screening out opponents of capital punishment, the process produces unrepresentative juries and juries that include a high concentration of people who are more inclined to convict defendants.
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Sentencing instructions–Numerous studies reveal that jurors do not understand the instructions they receive as they begin the sentencing phase of capital trials.
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Cultural and media myths about crime–Print and broadcast news, as well as crime-based television dramas, exaggerate the rate of violent crime and demonize violent criminals.
The book also offers a number of suggestions for reforms through the improvement of education, jury instructions, and media coverage of the issues. (U.C. Santa Cruz Press Release, Sept. 26, 2005).
- Death Penalty Information Center (2025, March 14). NEW RESOURCE: Craig Haney's New Book Explores Years of Death Penatly Research. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/new-resource-craig-haneys-new-book-explores-years-of-death-penatly-research
- Death Penalty Information Center. “NEW RESOURCE: Craig Haney's New Book Explores Years of Death Penatly Research.” Last modified March 14, 2025. Accessed October 14, 2026. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/new-resource-craig-haneys-new-book-explores-years-of-death-penatly-research.
- Death Penalty Information Center. “NEW RESOURCE: Craig Haney's New Book Explores Years of Death Penatly Research.” Death Penalty Information Center, 14 Mar. 2025, https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/new-resource-craig-haneys-new-book-explores-years-of-death-penatly-research. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.
