We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Estimates of the Deterrent Effect of Alternative Execution Methods in the United States: 1978–2000.
- Authors
Zimmerman, Paul R.
- Abstract
Using a panel of state-level data over the years 1978–2000, this article examines whether the method by which death penalty states conduct their executions affects the per capita incidence of murder in a differential manner. Several measures of the subjective probability of being executed are developed, taking into account the timing of individual executions. The empirical estimates suggest that the deterrent effect of capital punishment is driven primarily by executions conducted by electrocution. None of the other four methods of execution (lethal injection, gas chamber asphyxiation, hanging, and/or firing squad) are found to have a statistically significant impact on the per capita incidence of murder. These results are robust with respect to the manner in which the subjective probabilities of being executed are defined, whether or not a state has a death penalty law on the books, the removal of state and year fixed effects, controls for state-specific time trends, simultaneous control of all execution methods, and controls for other forms of public deterrence. In addition, it is shown that the negative and statistically significant impact of electrocutions is not driven by the occurrence of a “botched” electrocution during the relevant time period.
- Subjects
CAPITAL punishment -- Social aspects; CRIMINAL law; ELECTROCUTION; LETHAL injection (Execution); HANGING (Death); FIRING squads (Execution); GAS chambers; CAPITAL punishment; EFFICACY &; Cost-Effectiveness of Psychotherapy (Book)
- Publication
American Journal of Economics & Sociology, 2006, Vol 65, Issue 4, p909
- ISSN
0002-9246
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1536-7150.2006.00482.x