- Many adults in the United States support the practice of capital punishment, according to a poll by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News. 65 per cent of respondents favour the death penalty for persons convicted of murder.

Since 1976, 1,029 people have been put to death in the United States, including 25 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. 50 per cent of respondents favour capital punishment, while 46 per cent think life imprisonment with no chance of parole is preferable.

On Jun. 26, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Kansas' death penalty statute in a 5-4 decision. The justices ruled that juries may be required to sentence a defendant to death when there is an equal weight of "mitigating and aggravating" evidence. The decision effectively overturns a Kansas Supreme Court ruling, which found that capital punishment violates the Constitution's Eight Amendment—which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.

Polling Data

Do you favour or oppose the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?

Which punishment do you prefer for people convicted of murder?

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