Decoded Science

  • Home
  • Headlines
  • General Science
  • Applied Science
    • Calculations
    • Economics
    • Engineering
      • Aviation
      • Civil Engineering
    • Medical Science
      • Health
      • Neuroscience
      • Oncology
      • Veterinary Science
    • Political Science
      • Polling
    • Mathematics
    • Technology
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Computing
      • Electronics
      • Gadgets
    • Social Science
      • Cognitive Science
      • Psychology
      • Sociology
      • Anthropology
        • Linguistics
  • Physical Science
    • Archaeology
    • Astronomy
    • Chemistry
      • Materials Science
    • Geoscience
      • Climate Change
      • The Environment
      • Geology
      • Meteorology
      • Oceanography
    • Life Science
      • Biology
        • Botany
        • Zoology
          • Marine Biology
          • Entomology
          • Microbiology
        • Paleontology
        • Ecology
    • Nuclear Science
  • Theoretical Science
    • Physics
    • Math Theory
  • About Us
    • Contact Decoded Science
    • Ask the Expert
    • Meet Our Experts
    • Meet Our Sponsors:
    • Browse All Articles
    • Subscribe
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use Agreement
  • Support Decoded Science

Death before Innocence: The truth about America’s Death Penalty and the 4.1%

June 27, 2014 by Dianne Small-Jordan Leave a Comment

Share127
+11
Tweet
Share
Pin
128 Shares
lethal injection gurney

How many innocent people are on Death Row? Image courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Corrections

“The rate of erroneous conviction of innocent criminals defendants is often described as not merely unknown but unknowable” – Samuel Gross.

The 4% of Death Row

Professor Samuel Gross of the University of Michigan Law School recently conducted a study that indicates more than 4% of the people on death row may be innocent.

During the week of June 17, 2014, there were four executions in four states. All of the inmates were convicted of brutal crimes and to many,  the executions meant that justice was served.  But what if even one of the four was actually innocent?




Prisoners: Stand Up and Be Counted

Gross’s study revealed that 1 in 25 death row inmates is likely to be exonerated and released, putting the number at more than 4% of the death row population. Gross told the Guardian, “It’s a disturbing finding, there are a large number of people who are sentenced to death, and besides our best efforts, some of them have been undoubtedly been executed.”

Gross applied survival analysis technique, which uses a variety of statistical devices to calculate the number of cases of hidden innocence. In order to remain unbiased, he also conducted a sensitivity analysis to see how many exonerated convicts were guilty.

According to Gross, from 1994 to 2004 there have been 7,482 death row convictions and 943 executions, and around 2,675 persons have been removed from death row when their convictions came into question, although only a small percentage were fully exonerated and released.

Miscarriage of Justice

The miscarriage of justice is quite common in the criminal justice system. Issues that plague the justice system include:

  • False testimonies by eyewitnesses
  • Lack of evidence
  • Planted evidence by law enforcement officials in a quick attempt to close a case
  • Prosecutors seeking reelection and need convictions to boost their careers

As Gross explained, the rate of exonerations among death sentences in the United States is much higher than any other criminal sentence. The death penalty represents less than 1% of prison sentences, but accounts for 12% of known exonerations from 1989 to 2012, which is a disproportion of 130 to 1.

Death Penalty Cases vs. Other Sentences

People awaiting executions were considerably more likely to receive exoneration than other sentences. A serious fact that researchers noted is that 95% of felony convictions in the United States are based on plea agreements through routine procedure with no evidence submitted. Review of such cases are extremely rare. Many of those with a felony conviction usually do not have an attorney after conviction and if they appeal, the appeal is based on a perfunctory look, not on their innocence or guilt.

There is a difference when it comes to the death penalty however – all of these convictions are based on a jury trial and are reviewed upon appeal and almost all are repeatedly reviewed.  Normally death row prisoners will keep their attorney for their length of time on death row.

DNA: Making or Breaking it

This study also reviewed prisoners who spent more than 24.1 years on death row, were not exonerated but were misclassified, resulting in a reduced sentence. Some prisoners on Death Row will be cleared and freed, and some will be executed, but many will remain in prison and die of natural causes or by suicide.

As Elizabeth Loppato of Forbes Magazine pointed out, since the advent of DNA testing, there has been no significant difference in death penalty reversals, as only 18 of 142 exonerations have been due to post-conviction DNA testing.

Death Penalty Debate

Whether or not to abolish the death penalty has been an ongoing debate within the United States for years. According to a 2009 Gallup poll, 65% of Americans believe in the death penalty while 31% percent oppose it, and this trend continues today.

32 of the 50 states still have the death penalty; there are 3,088 people awaiting execution.

According to the Death Penalty Information Center: Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and Ohio had the highest execution rate for 2013.  California has the largest number of death row inmates (741) but has not had an execution since 2006 due to the lethal injection controversy.

Death Row Demographics

Race is a particular topic of interest in the justice system due to areas of geography. Since 1976 there have been 771 Whites executed (56%), followed by Blacks with 477 (34%) , Latinos with 110 ( 8%) and finally other with 24 (2%).  The current death row population by race – Whites with 1335 (43.23%), Blacks with 1,285 (41.61%,) Latino 391 (12.66% ), Other at 77 ( 2.79 %) . How many of these are innocent ?

Where Do We Go From Here?

The risk of someone being executed while innocent is evident. In many cases, the convicted individual’s innocence is proven after the fact; the fortunate few are exonerated and freed.

Even though the majority of American citizens are pro-death penalty, there has been a steady decline of executions performed in recent years and many states have abolished the practice. Where do you stand?

Share127
+11
Tweet
Share
Pin
128 Shares

Filed Under: Headlines

Resources for this article

Reuters. 1 in 25 death row inmate is likely innocent. (2014). Accessed on June 27, 2014


Gross, Samuel, et al. Rate of False Conviction of criminals who are sentenced to death. (2014). University of Michigan. Accessed on June 27, 2014


Lappito, Elizabeth. How many innocent people are sentenced to death. (2014). Forbes. Accessed on June 27, 2014


Death Penalty Information Center. National Statistics on the Death Penalty and Race. Death Penalty Information. Accessed on June 27, 2014


Death Penalty Information Center. Innocence and the Death Penalty. Death Penalty Information Center. Accessed on June 27, 2014


Gallup Poll. In the U.S. 2/3 support the death penalty. (2009). Gallup. Accessed on June 27, 2014


Pilkington, Ed. US death row study: 4% of defendants sentenced to die are innocent. (2014). The Guardian. Accessed on June 27, 2014




Decoded Everything is a non-profit corporation, dependent on donations from readers like you. Donate now! Your support keeps the great information coming!

Donation Information

I would like to make a donation in the amount of:

$500$200$100$50$20$10$5Other
Other:

I would like this donation to automatically repeat each month

Tribute Gift

Check here to donate in honor or memory of someone
Check here if this is a memorial gift
Name of person to be honored:
Send acknowledgement via email
Send acknowledgement via postal mail
Email Name:
Email:
Name:
Address:
City:
State :
Province:
Country:
Postal Code:

Donor Information

First Name:
Last Name:
Email:
Please do not display my name publicly. I would like to remain anonymous
Add me to your mailing list

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Connect with:
Facebook

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About the Author

Dianne Small-Jordan

Dianne Small-Jordan holds a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice from Hodges University in Naples, Florida, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Criminal Justice, specializing in Law and Public Policy. Read Full Profile

Follow Decoded Science

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
signupheredailydosedecsciv2


Science Everyone's Talking About

  • Genetically Modified Organisms: Pros and Cons of GMO Food Genetically Modified Organisms: Pros and Cons of GMO Food What are the benefits and risks of genetically modified... under Headlines, Health
  • Himalayan Ice Loss, Extra-Terrestrial Water and the European Settlement of the Americas: Geoscience 1-7 February 2019 Himalayan Ice Loss, Extra-Terrestrial Water and the European Settlement of the Americas: Geoscience 1-7 February 2019 This week we go back in time, travel into outer space a... under Geoscience, Headlines, Weekly Features
  • Introducing the Factorial: the Exclamation Mark of Math Introducing the Factorial: the Exclamation Mark of Math What is a factorial, and how is the exclamation point u... under Math Theory
  • Martian Water, Vanishing Arctic Ice and Mediterranean Tsunami Risk: Geoscience 6-13 February 2019 Martian Water, Vanishing Arctic Ice and Mediterranean Tsunami Risk: Geoscience 6-13 February 2019 This week's articles include the case for liquid water... under Geoscience, Headlines, Weekly Features
  • Did the Temple of Solomon Define Pi in the Bible? Did the Temple of Solomon Define Pi in the Bible? King Solomon's temple featured a 'Molten Sea' that incl... under Calculations, Headlines

Today's Most Popular Science Articles

  • Introducing Math Symbols for Union and Intersection Introducing Math Symbols for Union and Intersection
  • Norovirus Facts: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Stomach Flu Norovirus Facts: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Stomach Flu
  • Which Chemical Bond is Stronger: Ionic vs. Covalent Bonds Which Chemical Bond is Stronger: Ionic vs. Covalent Bonds
  • Genetically Modified Organisms: Pros and Cons of GMO Food Genetically Modified Organisms: Pros and Cons of GMO Food
  • Introducing the Factorial: the Exclamation Mark of Math Introducing the Factorial: the Exclamation Mark of Math
  • Cross Multiply to Solve Equations with Fractions Cross Multiply to Solve Equations with Fractions
  • Stomach Flu Cramps: Is There Anything You Can Do For Norovirus Symptoms? Stomach Flu Cramps: Is There Anything You Can Do For Norovirus Symptoms?

Copyright © 2019 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

MENU
  • Home
  • Headlines
  • General Science
  • Applied Science
    • Calculations
    • Economics
    • Engineering
      • Aviation
      • Civil Engineering
    • Medical Science
      • Health
      • Neuroscience
      • Oncology
      • Veterinary Science
    • Political Science
      • Polling
    • Mathematics
    • Technology
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Computing
      • Electronics
      • Gadgets
    • Social Science
      • Cognitive Science
      • Psychology
      • Sociology
      • Anthropology
        • Linguistics
  • Physical Science
    • Archaeology
    • Astronomy
    • Chemistry
      • Materials Science
    • Geoscience
      • Climate Change
      • The Environment
      • Geology
      • Meteorology
      • Oceanography
    • Life Science
      • Biology
        • Botany
        • Zoology
          • Marine Biology
          • Entomology
          • Microbiology
        • Paleontology
        • Ecology
    • Nuclear Science
  • Theoretical Science
    • Physics
    • Math Theory
  • About Us
    • Contact Decoded Science
    • Ask the Expert
    • Meet Our Experts
    • Meet Our Sponsors:
    • Browse All Articles
    • Subscribe
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use Agreement
  • Support Decoded Science