A review of the use of the death penalty around the world focuses on which crimes carry the death penalty, which nations have it, and the effects of abolition on homicide rates in 14 nations. Information on executions in the United States covers the characteristics of death row inmates and the characteristics of States with a death penalty. A review of research on the public's ratings of the relative severity of the death penalty indicates the public views life imprisonment without the possibility of parole as a more severe sentence than capital punishment. The summary of research findings on public attitudes toward capital punishment identifies the demographic characteristics of persons for and against the death penalty. An examination of studies pertinent to the discrimination issue in capital punishment indicates substantial evidence of discrimination. Such findings, however, would argue for the elimination of such discrimination rather than the abolition of the death penalty. Other research reviewed pertains to jury decisionmaking in capital cases and analyses of the deterrent effects of the death penalty. Some weak evidence is found for deterrent effects. Appendixes contain information on attitudes toward capital punishment and the deterrent effect of executions on the homicide rate. Chapter references and author and subject indexes.