NCJ Number
236929
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 39 Issue: 6 Dated: November/December 2011 Pages: 471-478
Date Published
December 2011
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study examined the criminal careers of 618 incarcerated male homicide offenders from 8 States, 191 of whom were sentenced to death.
Abstract
In the Poisson models for the full sample, several criminal-career variables were significantly associated with subsequent death sentences. These variables included an early onset of antisocial behavior as measured by juvenile arrests and prior rape, robbery, and molestation offending. In both models, which focused on separate instant offenses and the violent and property offenses, prior prison sentences predicted subsequent death sentences. These findings suggest that violent, recidivistic offenders who are routinely incarcerated throughout their life course might be sentenced to death for a capital offense. This pattern is consistent with the behavioral continuity that is a cardinal feature of criminal careers research. The number of murdered victims significantly predicted death sentences, which supports prior research that found multiple homicide victims was the strongest predictor of receiving a death sentence. An offender's race had no predictive effect on death sentences in the current sample; however, the coupling of criminal career information and race-dyad effects is an important issue for future research. It could extend the current models and previous findings. Other suggestions for future research are offered. The offenders in the sample were selected from eight States in the Southern, Midwestern, and Atlantic coast areas of the Nation. These States were selected because they provided biographical information on homicide offenders that could be used to access their criminal records. The records used contained correctional and court information produced by a clearinghouse with access to criminal justice information in 45 States and Washington, DC. 6 tables, 7 notes, and 83 references