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Persons on Death Row as of April 1, 1989, for Crimes Committed While Under Age Eighteen

NCJ Number
116817
Author(s)
V L Streib
Date Published
1989
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Statistics on the number of juvenile offenders on death row for crimes committed while under 18 years of age in the United States are presented.
Abstract
Since 1982, the practice of sentencing juveniles to death has remained at a remarkably low rate. Further, the constitutionality of the juvenile death penalty has been subject to intensive litigation. Supreme Court case decisions to be handed down by June 1989 should resolve the constitutionality issue. As of April 1, 1989, 27 persons were on death row for murders committed while under 18 years of age. The offenders are predominantly black males; the victims are primarily white females. Brief sketches of the 27 cases in 13 States are presented.