SOCIAL ISSUES & POLICY
Support for Death Penalty Drops to Lowest Level in 19 Years, Although Still High at 66%
2/24/00 -- Although a significant majority of Americans still favor the death penalty for persons convicted of murder, the percentage has been gradually decreasing over time since its high point in 1994, and is now -- at 66% -- at its lowest level since 1981. A new Gallup poll also shows that even those who favor the death penalty agree that innocent people at least occasionally are given the death sentence in error. Additionally, when given an explicit alternative to the death penalty -- life imprisonment with no chance for parole -- the percentage of Americans favoring the death penalty drops, but is still above 50%.
View full release at http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr000224.asp