Department of Justice: Capital punishment, 2010 statistical tables
…number of new death sentences handed down peaked in 1995 and 1996 (309). There were 104 new death sentences handed down in 2010, the lowest number since 1973 (44). In…
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The research on capital punishment: Recent scholarship and unresolved questions
…2014, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley commuted the sentences of the remaining four prisoners on death row in that state. In 2013, Maryland became the 18th state to abolish the death…
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Greater transparency in death penalty decisions
…sentences with 340; Florida was second with 188. The other states with the highest number of such sentences were: North Carolina, 132; Alabama, 97; Louisiana, 72; South Carolina, 59. A…
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Private prisons: Research, data and controversies
…populations that are disproportionately non-white, under federal jurisdiction, and serving short sentences; and they employ officers that are disproportionately female and black or Hispanic. These results depict the private prison…
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Covering criminal courts amid COVID-19: 6 tips for journalists
…state executives exercising their clemency authorities to reduce the sentences of deserving individuals serving excessive sentences who are at significant risk of contracting COVID-19 in prison systems across the nation?“…
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Myths and realities of correctional severity: Evidence from the National Corrections Reporting Program
…(such as young black males) tend to serve longer sentences than similar offenders with different demographic/racial profiles. Those more likely to be released during any given time period include women…
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Do judges vary in their treatment of race?
…African-American juvenile defendants may be more likely to be treated as adults — resulting in harsher punishments and more severe sentences — compared to white juveniles charged with similar crimes….
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Laws and policies that attempt to reduce firearm violence: Research review
…violence; policing strategies and community programs were moderately effective, while “prosecutorial strategies” — harsher sentences and restricted bail opportunities — showed the least promise. Mandatory firearms waiting periods and background…
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How should inmates be released from prison? Parole versus fixed-sentence regimes
…shifted to fixed sentences rather than allowing parole boards to release prisoners early based on good behavior. Despite the political popularity of such policies, little research has been done on…
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“Community prosecution”: Chicago’s experience in reducing crime and incarceration rates
…efforts with community interests and concerns. Rather than being judged by the number of cases they process and the length of sentences obtained, prosecutors instead work with local groups to…
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