The Short-Term Deterrent Effect of Execution on Homicides in the United States, 1979-1998 Moonki Hong
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Florida State University Libraries 2016 The Short-Term Deterrent Effect of Execution on Homicides in the United States, 1979-1998 Moonki Hong Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE THE SHORT-TERM DETERRENT EFFECT OF EXECUTION ON HOMICIDES IN THE UNITED STATES, 1979 - 1998 By MOONKI HONG A Dissertation submitted to the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2016 Moonki Hong defended this dissertation on April 14, 2016. The members of the supervisory committee were: Gary D. Kleck Professor Directing Dissertation David W. Rasmussen University Representative William D. Bales Committee Member Theodore G. Chiricos Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii This dissertation is dedicated to my parents, Sungkwan Hong and Kyongja Kim, who were always there praying for me. I am very glad to know that they have been able to see me complete this undertaking, as their kindness and much loving encouragement made it possible. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I could not have completed this dissertation without the support from many people. Thus, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all of those who have contributed to my efforts over the past years. First and foremost, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude and appreciation to my major professor, Gary Kleck, for the advice, understanding and considerable tolerance he has demonstrated throughout this research. His guidance and knowledge have been invaluable to my successful completion of the doctoral program. Over the years and the distance, he never failed to give my work and me his full attention. Dr. Kleck displayed great patience and allowed me to work at my own pace while always being there when I needed him. Dr. Kleck’s compassion and commitment to his students and his desire for them to succeed will remain with me throughout my life. Without his generous support and intellectual guidance, I could not have finished this dissertation. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am indebted equally my other dissertation committee members, Drs. David Rasmussen, William Bales, and Theodore Chiricos, whose support, advice and feedback have been of great benefit in the completion of this dissertation. It was an honor to have them serve on my committee. Special thanks go to Dr. Nancy Marcus, the Dean of the Graduate School, and Dr. Thomas Bloomberg, the Dean of the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice for their unqualified support and assistance in allowing me to undertake this work. My thanks go out to the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida State University for the education they have provided me. I consider myself blessed to have studied and worked there with my professors and fellow classmates. I would like to thank Dr. SuHo Lee, an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology at Cameron University. Dr. Lee was the best mentor while I was working at Cameron University. Dr. Lee always provided me with the best advice and support. Finally, my parents, Sungkwan Hong and Kyongja Kim, and my little brother, Wangmun Hong, have been constant sources of support and encouragement. I owe an unpayable debt to my parents in particular, who have offered me unwavering support as I pursued my studies. Without this, I might not have found myself at Florida State University, nor had the courage to engage in iv this task and see it through. I am especially grateful that my parents are alive to witness the completion of this dissertation and hope that I will use what I have learned to live up to their expectations. v TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. ix List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................x Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... xi 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................1 Historical Background: The Use of the Death Penalty in the United States ...............................2 Policy Implication Issues ............................................................................................................4 Theoretical Issues ........................................................................................................................7 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................................9 Summary ...................................................................................................................................10 2. THEORY ..................................................................................................................................11 Deterrence Theory .....................................................................................................................11 General Overview ..............................................................................................................11 Definition ...........................................................................................................................13 Types of Deterrence ..........................................................................................................13 The Simultaneous Relationship between Executions and Homicide Rates .......................16 Other Possible Preventive Mechanism for Punishment ............................................................17 The Brutalization Effect of Executions on Homicides ......................................................18 Full Rational Choice and Limited Rational Choice Models of Crime and Deterrence ............19 Full Rational Choice Model of Crime and Deterrence ......................................................19 Limited Rational Choice (Constricted Rational Choice) Model of Crime and Deterrence ..........................................................................................................................21 Threat Communication as Proxies for Perceptions of Execution Risk .....................................22 The Effects on Homicides of Factors Other than the Death Penalty ........................................24 Other Criminal Justice Factors...........................................................................................24 Non-Criminal Justice Factors ............................................................................................24 3. LITERATURE REVIEW..........................................................................................................26 Summary of Findings from Previous Studies ..........................................................................26 The Dependent Variable ...........................................................................................................31 Measures of the Prevalence or Risk of Capital Punishment .....................................................34 Measures of Execution Risk .....................................................................................................36 Temporal Unit of Analysis ........................................................................................................38 News Media Publicity on Executions .......................................................................................39 Control Variables ......................................................................................................................40 Deterrence Variables ..........................................................................................................40 Economic Variables ...........................................................................................................42 Social and Demographic Variables ....................................................................................43 Temporal Variables ............................................................................................................43 vi Other Violent and Property Crime .....................................................................................44 Research Designs ......................................................................................................................45 Unit of Analysis ........................................................................................................................49 Temporal Unit of Analysis.................................................................................................50 Geographical Unit of Analysis...........................................................................................51 Homicide Data Sources .............................................................................................................53 Summary ...................................................................................................................................55 4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ..............................................................................................57