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Selecting Juveniles for Death: The Kentucky Experience, 1976-1986

Thomas J. Keil

The universe of cases in this study includes all persons charged and indicted for murder and convicted and incarcerated for murder (or a lesser included offense) in Kentucky between December 22, 1976 (the date of the current Kentucky capital punishment statute) and October 1, 1986 (N = 864; Adults = 830; Juveniles = 34). The purpose of this analysis was to compare the offense and victim characteristics of the adult und juvenile cases in the population. Our aim was to make a determination of the comparative "seriousness" of the cases. Put simply, "Did the juveniles commit more heinous homicides than adult offenders?" The findings indicate that the juvenile murder cases were more severe than the adult cases. However, juveniles were not sentenced to die at a higher rate than adults. The Kentucky experience may provide evidence that the public is unwilling to sentence juveniles to death even when the circumstances warrant such a penalty.

Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, Vol. 5, No. 4, 181-198 (1989)
DOI: 10.1177/104398628900500402


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