Introduction to Corrections Unit 6 Teamwork - Instructor...

cci   Introduction to Corrections
CCJ2306 Instructor Susan Wind
2010
Introduction to Corrections
E v e r e s t   O n - l i n e

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The Role of Capital Punishment in Contemporary Society; In the last 35 years, beginning with
its temporary moratorium on the death penalty, the Supreme Court has changed its view of
capital punishment and done so more than once; the majority of Americans, however, have not.
(Copyright © 2010, The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life 1615 L Street, NW Suite
700 Washington, DC 20036-5610).
During those 35 years, public support for the death penalty has experienced significant rises
and dips, but surveys show that it has not fallen below 50% since 1966; for all that time, a
substantial majority of Americans has favored the death penalty for persons convicted of murder.
(Copyright © 2010, The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life 1615 L Street, NW Suite
700 Washington, DC 20036-5610).
Surveys show that public support for the death penalty began an upward trend about the time
the Supreme Court temporarily suspended capital punishment 35 years ago; support for the death
penalty for persons convicted of murder gradually rose from 57% in late 1972 to a peak of 80%
in 1994; in the late 1990s, the trend reversed and support receded for the remainder of the
decade; since 2001, Pew Research Center surveys show support varying within a relatively
steady, narrow range of 64% to 68%,(Copyright © 2010, The Pew Forum on Religion & Public
Life 1615 L Street, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20036-5610).
While the number of Americans opposed to the death penalty for murder has ranged from 24%
to 30%; in the most recent Pew survey, in late January 2007, 64% favored the death penalty for
persons convicted of murder, 29% were opposed and 7% were unsure, (Copyright © 2010, The

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Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life 1615 L Street, NW Suite 700 Washington, DC 20036-
5610).
A 2005 Pew poll found that among conservative Republicans, only 9% opposed the death
penalty; opposition was highest among liberal Democrats, with 42% against the death penalty,
(Copyright © 2010 The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life 1615 L Street, NW Suite
700 Washington, DC 20036-5610).