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Running Head: Prisoners Under Death Row

Exercise # 2

Tuskegee University Institute

Erika D. Richardson

January 17, 2010

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1. Problem Identification.
The United States economy is affected by prisoners who have been sentenced to death row and
those already executed examined by their characteristics.

2. Problem Description.

Prisoners on death row and those executed affect the economy as a whole. Money is spent every
day to institutionalize all incarcerated people. It is even more to execute the inmate. Although,
only twenty-eight states in the U.S. have adopted the death row sentence, tax-payers from every
state fund imprisonment of inmates within the state. Since 1976, U.S. citizens within the 28
states have had the burden of paying prisoners room and board of death row inmates. Billions of
dollars from the government and tax-payers fund inmates on death row. It is ironic that it costs
more to kill someone than to keep them alive. Since the U.S. ruled the electric chair
unconstitutional, the lethal injection is the new procedure. It is a fact the government spends an
extra $71 million on prison inmates on death row with lethal injection.

There is no real solution to prisoners on death row affecting the economy. All persons who
violate the law to a certain extent need to be incarcerated. Individuals need to be incarcerated to
either think about the bad decisions made or from keeping individuals from making the same bad
choice consistently. Correctional facilities, jails and prison are essential in our economy. Without
the prison system there would be chaos and havoc all through the U.S. It is important to give
individuals that intervention to become fit for society, if given another chance. It is unfortunate
that tax payers are charged to support a felon on death row but that is how our great system
works. In addition, the survival of African Americans is not the issue in the cases of inmates on
death row, because white inmates have the highest rate.

3. Findings.

A. Magnitude:

Table 337, shows the prisoners under sentence of death by characteristics. The death penalty
in the United States was not established until 1976. The table shows about 37,013 prisoners
that have been on death row through the years of 1980 to 2006. Throughout the years the
number of death row inmates has increased for the most part, but decreased slightly in some
years. In 1980, the number of death row inmates was six hundred and eighty-eight. In 1990,
a ten year gap, 2,346 inmates were sentenced to death row. From 1980 to 1990, inmates
increased by 1,658. In 1995, five years later, 3,064 inmates had been sentenced to death. In
1998, about 3,540 prisoners were on death row. In those three years 718 more inmates were
added. In 1999, the following year, 3,540 inmates were sentenced to death row. In 2000,
3,601 inmates were given the death penalty. In 2001, 3,577 inmates were sentenced to
death. In 2002, 3,562 were sentenced to death. In 2003, 3,377 prisoners were sentenced to
death. In 2004, 3,320 were sentenced to death. In 2005, 3,245 inmates were sentenced to
death. Between the years 2004 and 2005 the number of inmates on death row decreased by
75. Finally in 2006, 3,228 inmates were on death row.
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Whether the number of death row inmate’s increases or decreases, everyone in the United
States is affected. Even the government has established a system to fund death penalty
inmates. Only twenty-eight states out of fifty have adopted the death penalty. Death row
inmates are relocated from jail to a prison, which is ran by the state. The state prison is
funded by the tax payer that lives within the state. For example, tax payers New Jersey spent
up to $235 million per year on death row inmates. New Jersey, now does not participate in
the death penalty. Inmate costs are around $52.06 per day to provide food, clothing, room,
and medical services. Therefore, making total cost of a prisoner each year $19,002 each.

/.
B. Scope:

Table 344, identifies the prisoners executed under civil authority by state. There are twenty-
eight states who have adopted the death sentence. Each state on the table shows how many
inmates on death row that were executed from the years 1977 to 2007. Twenty-eight states
Death row states would include; Texas, Virginia, Oklahoma, Missouri, Florida, North
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana, Arkansas, Ohio, Arizona, Indiana,
Delaware, California, Illinois, Nevada, Mississippi, Utah, Maryland, Tennessee,
Washington, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Kentucky, Idaho, Wyoming. Alabama, Ohio,
Oklahoma, and Texas are the only states that have executed an inmate consistently each year
from 2004 to 2007. From the years 1977 to 2007, Alabama has executed 38 inmates.
Arizona has executed 23 inmates. Arkansas has executed 27 inmates. California has
executed 13 inmates. Delaware has executed 14 inmates. Florida has executed 64 inmates.
Georgia has executed 40 inmates. Idaho has executed 1. Illinois has executed 12 inmates.
Indiana has executed 19 inmates. Kentucky has executed 2 inmates. Louisiana has executed
27 inmates. Maryland has executed 5 inmates. Mississippi has executed 8 inmates. Missouri
has executed 66 inmates. Nevada has executed 12 inmates. North Carolina has executed 43
inmates, Ohio has executed 26 inmates. Oklahoma has executed 86 inmates. Oregon has
executed 2 inmates. Pennsylvania has executed 3 inmates. South Carolina has executed 37
inmates. Tennessee has executed 4 inmates. Texas has executed 405 inmates. Utah has
executed 6 inmates. Virginia has executed 98 inmates. Washington has executed 4 inmates.
Wyoming has executed 1 inmate. A total of 1,099 inmates were executed. Out of the
twenty-eight death row states, Texas has executed the most. Texas has executed 37 percent
inmates throughout the years 1977 to 2007. Wyoming and Utah have only executed less
than one percent.

C. Changes:

Table 340, shows the changes over time of prisoners executed under civil authority by state
through the years 1977 to 2007. The table displays the total number of inmates executed
from 1977 through 2007 in the U.S. and how the numbers increased or decreased yearly
from 2004 to 2007. The total number of all twenty-eight states executed inmates was 1,099
through the years 1977 to 2007. The total number of inmates executed in the United States
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in 2004 was 59. In the year 2005, 60 inmates were executed. In 2006, 53 inmates had been
executed in the United States. In 2007, 42 inmates were executed in the United States.
From the years 1977 to 2007, Texas has the highest rate of inmates executed. Through the
years 2004 through 2006, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming did not execute any of their inmates. From the years 2004 to
2005, the rate of execution by civil authority increased by 1. From 2005 to 2006, the rate of
inmates executed decreased by 7. From 2006 to 2007, the rate of executed prisoners
decreased by 11. The years 2006 to 2007 had the largest decrease in executed prisoners.
Throughout the years 2004 to 2007, Texas had the highest rate of inmates executed by civil
authority. Texas also held the highest rate of executed inmates amongst the rest of the states.
Texas is not shy about giving criminals the death sentence. A new perspective is given to
the famous state’s slogan, “Don’t mess with Texas.”

D. Disparities:

In table 337, Prisoner’s under sentence of death by characteristics through the years 1980 to
2006 shows the problem in terms of race. In table 337, the race was between white or black
inmates. The black inmates were categorized under black and other on the table. Black and
other would include all non-white inmates. In 1980, out of 688 inmates on death row, 418
are white and 270 are black and other. In 1990, out of the 2,346 inmates, 1,368 were white
and 978 were black and other. In 1995, out of the 3,064 inmates, 1,732 were white and
1,332 were black and other. In 1998, out of 3,465 inmates, 1,917 were white and 1,548 were
black and other. In 1999, out of the 3,540 inmates, 1,960 were white and 1,580 were black
and other. In 2000, out of the 3,601 inmates, 1,989 were white and 1,612 were black and
other. In 2001, out of the 3,577 inmates, 1,968 were white and 1,609 were black and other.
In 2002, out of the 3,562 inmates, 1,939 were white and 1,623 were black and other. In
2003, out of 3,377 inmates, 1,882 were white and 1,495 were black and other. In 2004, out
of the 3,320 inmates, 1,856 were white and 1,464 were black and other. In 2005, out of the
3,245 inmates, 1802 were white and 1,426 were black and other. The year 2000 had the
highest rate of executed victims. Also, in 2000, most of the inmates executed were white.
The year 2002, was the highest rate of black inmates executed. Out of the 37,013 inmates
that were on death row through the years of 1980 to 2006, 20,633 were white inmates and
16,380 were black and other. The data suggest that more white inmates are on death row
than blacks.
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4. Data Tables
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