check markFACTS AND FIGURES
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The Death Penalty in Pennsylania

bulletAs of September 1, 1999, there were 225 people on Pennsylvania's death row. Of those, 140 are African American, 69 are white, and 14 are Hispanic; 2 are listed under other, 4 of the death row inmates are women.

bulletPennsylvania comes in fourth in the list of states with the most people on death row--after California (541), Texas (450), and Florida (389).

bulletOf those four states with the most people on death row, Pennysylvania is the only one with a majority of African Americans on death row. African Americans make up less than 10% of the general population but as much as 62% if the death row population.

bulletSince his inauguration in 1995, Governor Ridge has signed 197 death warrants (136) for people of color, 61 for white inmates). Three people have been executed since 1995. Ridge's predecessor Governor Robert Casey signed 11 death warrants; Governor David Thornburgh signed 7. No one was executed during their terms.

bulletJudge Albert Sabo (Philadelphia) has sentenced more people to death than any other judge in the United States. The vast majority of whom are African Americans.

bulletDistrict Attorney Lynn Abraham (Philadephia) is the deadliest D.A. in the United States. Her Office seeks the death penalty in every case legally possible.

General Facts About the Death Penalty

bulletSince 1976, 624 people have been executed (20 in 2000) in the United States since the use of the death penalty was resumed that year.

bulletAs of September 1, 1999, there were 3,625 people on death row.

bullet38 of the 50 US states provide the death penalty.

bulletA death sentence is three times more expensive than a life sentence.

bullet67% of police chiefs in the United States think that the death penalty is not an effective law enforcement tool.

bullet98 countries, including the totality of Western countries, have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice.

bulletThe USA is one of only five countries to permit the execution of defendants who committed their crimes while they were minors, a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the United States has signed. The others are Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.

bulletAfrican Americans make up approximately 12% of the general population in the United States, but make up 43% of the death row population.

bulletAccording to a study conducted in New Jersey, the probabilitya that a black defendant will get a death sentence is about 10 times higher than for a white defendant.

bulletThe decision to seek the death penalty is made by the District Attorneys Office. 98% of the chief District Attorneys in counties using the death penalty in the United States are white, only 1% are African American.

bulletSince 1973, over 80 people have been released from death row because of evidence of their innocence.

bulletAt least 23 innocent people have been executed since 1900.


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