NCJ Number
127540
Date Published
1991
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This chapter presents the results of a national survey of the status of death-row inmates who had their sentences commuted as a result of the Furman decision. It reports on the prison behavior and recidivism rate of these inmates.
Abstract
The data were obtained from a questionnaire survey mailed by the National Clearinghouse on Prisons and Jail in 1987 to States with Furman inmates in their corrections departments. Out of the 457 Furman-commuted inmates (40 percent) granted parole, about 20 percent were reincarcerated. Repeat homicide rate was 3 out of 185 (1.6 percent) including 3 robberies, 1 rape, and 1 kidnapping for a total violent crime rate of 4.5 percent. Following the return of the 272-Furman-commuted inmates not granted parole to prison, 25 violent offenses (11 percent out of the total number of institutional violations) were committed. The authors conclude that the Furman parolees performed better than expected. 3 tables, 7 notes, 22 references