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

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. Footnotes for all facts are available in the print version.