Post by ScotKaren on Jun 20, 2006 11:03:53 GMT -5
www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=230&scid=24
Prior to the execution of Karla Faye Tucker, a worldwide chorus of religious, moral and legal leaders protested her killing because of the obvious changes in her character while on death row.
FACTS AND FIGURES
As of January 1, 2006 there were 55 women on death row (NAACP Legal Defense Fund). This constitutes 1.5% of the total death row population of about 3,373 persons and less than 0.1% of the approximately 50,000 women in prisons in the United States.
In the past 100 years, over 40 women have been executed in the U.S, including 11 since 1976. See, Women Executed in the U.S. Since 1900 for the date, state, race, and method of each execution.
Much of the information that follows is taken from "Death Penalty For Female Offenders, January 1973 through December 31, 2005 [PDF]" by Victor L. Streib, Professor of Law at Ohio Northern University College of Law, with periodic annotations by DPIC (Please see the full-text of the report for more details.)
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BACKGROUND
In general, both the death sentencing rate and the death row population remain very small for women in comparison to that for men. Actual execution of female offenders is quite rare, with only 567 documented instances as of 06/30/05, beginning with the first in 1632. These executions constitute about 2.8% of the total of confirmed executions in the United States since 1608.
Eleven female offenders have been executed since 1976. They are:
Velma Barfield in North Carolina on November 2, 1984
Karla Faye Tucker in Texas on February 3, 1998
Judy Buenoano in Florida on March 30, 1998
Betty Lou Beets in Texas on February 24, 2000
Christina Riggs in Arkansas on May 2, 2000
Wanda Jean Allen in Oklahoma on January 11, 2001
Marilyn Plantz in Oklahoma on May 1, 2001
Lois Nadean Smith in Oklahoma on December 4, 2001
Lynda Lyon Block in Alabama on May 10, 2002
Aileen Wuornos in Florida on October 9, 2002
Frances Newton in Texas on September 14, 2005
Prior to this, the last female offender executed was Elizabeth Ann Duncan, executed by California on August 8, 1962.
Death sentences and actual executions for female offenders are also rare in comparison to such events for male offenders. In fact, women are more likely to be dropped out of the system the further the capital punishment system progresses. Following in summary outline form are the data indicating this screening out effect:
* women account for about 1 in 10 (10%) murder arrests;
* women account for only 1 in 50 (2.0%) death sentences imposed at the trial level;
* women account for only 1 in 70 (1.4%) persons presently on death row; and
* women account for only 1 in 97 (1.1%) persons actually executed in the modern era.
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DEATH SENTENCES IMPOSED UPON FEMALE OFFENDERS, 1973 - June 30, 2005
Since the death penalty was reinstated, 152 death sentences have been imposed upon female offenders. These sentences constitute about 2% of all death sentences since reinstatement.
Year Total Death Sentences* Female Death Sentences Portion of Total
1973 42 1 2.4%
1974 149 1 0.7%
1975 298 8 2.3%
1976 233 3 1.3%
1977 137 1 0.7%
1978 185 4 2.1%
1979 151 4 2.6%
1980 173 2 1.1%
1981 224 3 1.3%
1982 265 5 1.8%
1983 252 4 1.6%
1984 285 8 2.8%
1985 266 5 1.8%
1986 300 3 1.0%
1987 289 5 1.7%
1988 290 5 1.7%
1989 259 11 4.2%
1990 252 7 2.7%
1991 267 6 2.2%
1992 287 10 3.5%
1993 289 6 2.0%
1994 315 5 1.6%
1995 318 7 2.2%
1996 320 2 0.6%
1997 276 2 0.7%
1998 300 7 2.3%
1999 279 5 1.8%
2000 231 7 3.1%
2001 163 2 1.3%
2002 159 5
3.2%
2003
144
2
1.4%
2004
125*
5
2.3%
2005
96*
4
1.7%
Totals: 7,544* 155 2.1%
* Estimates as of October 1, 2005
Prior to the execution of Karla Faye Tucker, a worldwide chorus of religious, moral and legal leaders protested her killing because of the obvious changes in her character while on death row.
FACTS AND FIGURES
As of January 1, 2006 there were 55 women on death row (NAACP Legal Defense Fund). This constitutes 1.5% of the total death row population of about 3,373 persons and less than 0.1% of the approximately 50,000 women in prisons in the United States.
In the past 100 years, over 40 women have been executed in the U.S, including 11 since 1976. See, Women Executed in the U.S. Since 1900 for the date, state, race, and method of each execution.
Much of the information that follows is taken from "Death Penalty For Female Offenders, January 1973 through December 31, 2005 [PDF]" by Victor L. Streib, Professor of Law at Ohio Northern University College of Law, with periodic annotations by DPIC (Please see the full-text of the report for more details.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BACKGROUND
In general, both the death sentencing rate and the death row population remain very small for women in comparison to that for men. Actual execution of female offenders is quite rare, with only 567 documented instances as of 06/30/05, beginning with the first in 1632. These executions constitute about 2.8% of the total of confirmed executions in the United States since 1608.
Eleven female offenders have been executed since 1976. They are:
Velma Barfield in North Carolina on November 2, 1984
Karla Faye Tucker in Texas on February 3, 1998
Judy Buenoano in Florida on March 30, 1998
Betty Lou Beets in Texas on February 24, 2000
Christina Riggs in Arkansas on May 2, 2000
Wanda Jean Allen in Oklahoma on January 11, 2001
Marilyn Plantz in Oklahoma on May 1, 2001
Lois Nadean Smith in Oklahoma on December 4, 2001
Lynda Lyon Block in Alabama on May 10, 2002
Aileen Wuornos in Florida on October 9, 2002
Frances Newton in Texas on September 14, 2005
Prior to this, the last female offender executed was Elizabeth Ann Duncan, executed by California on August 8, 1962.
Death sentences and actual executions for female offenders are also rare in comparison to such events for male offenders. In fact, women are more likely to be dropped out of the system the further the capital punishment system progresses. Following in summary outline form are the data indicating this screening out effect:
* women account for about 1 in 10 (10%) murder arrests;
* women account for only 1 in 50 (2.0%) death sentences imposed at the trial level;
* women account for only 1 in 70 (1.4%) persons presently on death row; and
* women account for only 1 in 97 (1.1%) persons actually executed in the modern era.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DEATH SENTENCES IMPOSED UPON FEMALE OFFENDERS, 1973 - June 30, 2005
Since the death penalty was reinstated, 152 death sentences have been imposed upon female offenders. These sentences constitute about 2% of all death sentences since reinstatement.
Year Total Death Sentences* Female Death Sentences Portion of Total
1973 42 1 2.4%
1974 149 1 0.7%
1975 298 8 2.3%
1976 233 3 1.3%
1977 137 1 0.7%
1978 185 4 2.1%
1979 151 4 2.6%
1980 173 2 1.1%
1981 224 3 1.3%
1982 265 5 1.8%
1983 252 4 1.6%
1984 285 8 2.8%
1985 266 5 1.8%
1986 300 3 1.0%
1987 289 5 1.7%
1988 290 5 1.7%
1989 259 11 4.2%
1990 252 7 2.7%
1991 267 6 2.2%
1992 287 10 3.5%
1993 289 6 2.0%
1994 315 5 1.6%
1995 318 7 2.2%
1996 320 2 0.6%
1997 276 2 0.7%
1998 300 7 2.3%
1999 279 5 1.8%
2000 231 7 3.1%
2001 163 2 1.3%
2002 159 5
3.2%
2003
144
2
1.4%
2004
125*
5
2.3%
2005
96*
4
1.7%
Totals: 7,544* 155 2.1%
* Estimates as of October 1, 2005
