Site Network:Prison Policy Initiative|Prisoners of the Census

Section I: Crime & Punishment in the U.S.

Murder

  • Percent of all murders and non-negligent manslaughters in 1999 where the victim-killer relationship was that of strangers92: 11.89%
  • Number of murders and non-negligent manslaughters of White females per 100,000 population, 199893: 2.2
  • Number of murders and non-negligent manslaughters of White males per 100,000 population, 199894: 6.1
  • Number of murders and non-negligent manslaughters of African-American females per 100,000 population, 199895: 8.6
  • Number of murders and non-negligent manslaughters of African-American males per 100,000 population, 199896: 42.1
African-American males are 19 times more likely to be the victims of murder than white females

When the murder rate goes up...

  • Murder rate per 100,000, 197697: 8.8
  • Murder rate per 100,000, 197998: 9.7
  • Increase in number of state and federal prisoners, 1976-197999: 38,637

When the murder rate goes down a little...

  • Murder rate per 100,000, 1980100: 10.2
  • Murder rate per 100,000, 1985101: 7.9
  • Murder rate per 100,000, 1989102: 8.7
  • Increase in number of state and federal prisoners, 1980-1985103: 164,594
  • Increase in number of state and federal prisoners, 1985-1989104: 200,339

And when the murder rates goes down a lot...

  • Murder rate per 100,000, 1991105: 9.8
  • Murder rate per 100,000, 1995106: 8.2
  • Murder rate per 100,000, 1999107: 5.7
  • Increase in number of state and federal prisoners, 1991-1995108: 295,412
  • Increase in number of state and federal prisoners, 1995-1999109: 219,052

Murder & the death penalty

  • Percent of public stating the death penalty should be the penalty for murder, 2001110: 57%
  • Percentage point increase in support for the death penalty for murder since 1985111: 1%
  • Number of murders and non-negligent manslaughters in 1999112: 15,530
  • Number of persons sentenced to death in 1999113: 282
  • Number of executions, 1999114: 98
  • Number of people removed in 1999 from death row by dismissal of indictment, reversal of judgment, commutation, re-sentencing, order of new trial or death115: 122
  • Ratio of death sentences to murders, 1999116: 1 to 55
  • Ratio of executions to murders, 1999117: 1 to 158

This page is an excerpt from The Prison Index: Taking the Pulse of the Crime Control Industry (2003) by Peter Wagner, published by the Western Prison Project and the Prison Policy Initiative..