The age of death: Appraising public opinion of juvenile capital punishment

Life Without Parole: The Influence of Age and Race on the Sentencing of Juvenile Offenders

“…Past research on juvenile sentencing has used life without parole as a lesser alternative to the death penalty, in which adolescents were more likely to receive life without parole (Finkel et al, 1994;Kubiak & Allen, 2008;Vogel & Vogel, 2003). Given research on capital punishment demonstrating that young adolescents are least likely to receive death sentences, and changes in current law regarding sentencing adolescents to life without parole, the question was posed as to whether the same sentencing practices would carry over now that the cap for sentencing juveniles is life without parole.…”

“…The studies that have addressed public opinion of life without parole for juveniles have primarily been assessed in conjunction with death penalty research, in which life without parole serves as an alternative sentence (Kubiak & Allen, 2008;Vogel & Vogel, 2003). When presented as an alternative to the death penalty, Vogel and Vogel (2003) found that of the individuals who opposed the death penalty, only 25% also opposed life sentences without parole for juveniles, and 58.5% supported life without parole as an alternative sentence to the death penalty.…”

“…The studies that have addressed public opinion of life without parole for juveniles have primarily been assessed in conjunction with death penalty research, in which life without parole serves as an alternative sentence (Kubiak & Allen, 2008;Vogel & Vogel, 2003). When presented as an alternative to the death penalty, Vogel and Vogel (2003) found that of the individuals who opposed the death penalty, only 25% also opposed life sentences without parole for juveniles, and 58.5% supported life without parole as an alternative sentence to the death penalty. Kubiak and Allen (2008) conducted a public opinion poll in which they assessed whether the general public supported Michigan's current policy regarding sentencing juveniles to life without parole, and whether individuals would act in accordance with Michigan's policy of mandatory life sentences if given the opportunity to consider alternatives.…”

The Effect of Blakely v. Washington on Upward Departures in a Sentencing Guideline State

“…(Maxfield & Babbie, 2008, p. 229). Several studies have utilized this approach comparing degrees earned by inmates while incarcerated (Batiuk, Lahm, Mckeever, Wilcox, & Wilcox, 2005), attitudes towards juvenile death penalty among different racial/ethnic groups (Vogel & Vogel, 2003), executed sentences before and after the imposition of the sentencing guidelines in Minnesota (Miethe, 1987), juvenile referrals among different racial/ethnic categories (Leiber, 1993), and punishment severity of illegal aliens and non-illegal aliens (McShane, 1987) The current study uses a disproportionate stratified sampling procedure to produce a higher proportion of cases resulting in an aggravated sentence compared to their representation in the population of cases. For the overall sample of cases in the 52-month period surrounding the Blakely decision, the population of cases resulting in an aggravated sentence (or, upward departure) is included and an equal number of randomly selected cases resulting in a non-aggravated sentence are included in the analyses.…”

Personal and Vicarious Experience with the Criminal Justice System as a Predictor of Punitive Sentencing Attitudes

“…With regard to gender, the majority of studies conducted in this area have found that women hold less punitive sentencing attitudes than males. Women are more likely to oppose capital punishment than males in general, and are less supportive of the death penalty for juvenile and adult offenders (Applegate, Cullen, Fisher & Vander Ven, 2000;Applegate, Wright, Dunaway, Cullen, & Wooldredge, 1993;Grasmick, Cochran, Bursik, & Kimpel, 1993;Halim & Stiles, 2001;Keil & Vito, 1991;Kelley & Braithwaite, 1990;Moon, Wright, Cullen, & Pealer, 2000;Robbers, 2006;Sandys & McGarrell, 1995;Skovron, Scott, & Cullen, 1989;Unnever & Cullen, 2005;Vogel & Vogel, 2003;Young, 1992;Zeisel & Gallup, 1989). Additionally, females tend to endorse the idea of treatment over punishment of offenders (Applegate, Cullen, & Fisher, 2002;Cullen, Clark, Cullen, & Mathers, 1985).…”