(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in the United States believe capital punishment is adequate for specific crimes, according to a poll by Gallup released by USA Today. 65 per cent of respondents are in favour of the death penalty for a person convicted of murder.

Since 1976, 1,025 people have been put to death in the United States, including 21 during 2006. More than a third of all executions have taken place in the state of Texas. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia do not engage in capital punishment, and a moratorium on executions has been issued in Illinois.

Despite the high support for the death penalty, Americans remain divided on the appropriate punishment for murder. 48 per cent of respondents would prefer life imprisonment with absolutely no possibility of parole, while 47 per cent think capital punishment is preferable.

On Jun. 1, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that specific facts, such as a defendant's "extraordinarily damaging childhood" must be taken into account during the sentencing process of every case where the death penalty is a possibility. In previous occasions, the standard was only applied in cases where a defendant suffered from severe mental illnesses.

Polling Data

Are you in favour of the death penalty for a person convicted of murder?

If you could choose between the following two approaches, which do you think is the better penalty for murder?

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