---
title: 'PUBLIC OPINION: Americans More Skeptical of Any Deterrent Effect of Death Penalty'
description: 'A recent Harris Poll found that only 41% of Americans believe that the death penalty deters crime, marking the smallest number of such respondents in 27…'
canonical: 'https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/public-opinion-americans-more-skeptical-of-any-deterrent-effect-of-death-penalty'
section: news
date: '2004-01-08T18:39:57-05:00'
updated: '2025-03-14T14:22:17-04:00'
source: 'Death Penalty Information Center'
---

A recent Harris Poll found that only 41% of Americans believe that the death penalty deters crime, marking the smallest number of such respondents in 27 years of this poll. Only 37% of those polled would continue to support capital punishment if they believed "that quite a substantial number of innocent people are convicted of murder." Overall, 69% percent of those polled said that they support capital punishment. The poll was conducted in December 2003. (PR Newswire, January 7, 2004) See [Public Opinion](/public-opinion-about-death-penalty?did=209&scid=23).