EMPIRICAL RESEARCH PROVIDES THE BASIS NEEDED BY LAWYERS, JUDGES, AND CONCERNED CITIZENS TO FORM REASONED OPINIONS ON THE NECESSITY AND JUSTICE OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. THIS COLLECTION ATTEMPTS TO PRESENT SUCH RESEARCH. FOLLOWING TWO PAPERS ON 'THE ROLE OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES IN DETERMINING THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT' AND 'RATIONAL CRITERIA FOR THE IMPOSITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY,' FOUR PAPERS EXAMINE THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN MURDER AND RAPE CASES, FOUR PRESENT PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT (CONDUCTED IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY), AND TWO PAPERS TRACE CHANGES IN PUBLIC ATTITUDE TOWARD THE DEATH PENALTY. STUDIES USING BOTH TIME-SERIES ANALYSIS AND COMPILATIONS OF STATISTICAL DATA ARE INCLUDED AMONG SIX PAPERS DISCUSSING BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AS A DETERRENCE. TOPICS COVERED IN THE SECTION ON 'MURDERS AND EXECUTIONS AS SEEN BY PSYCHIATRY' INCLUDE CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AS BOTH MURDER AND SUICIDE, A CASE REPORT ON THE PSYCHIATRIC EFFECT OF THE DEATH PENALTY, AND THE EFFECT OF A 'DEATH QUALIFIED JURY' ON GUILT DETERMINATION. CHARACTERSITICS OF INMATES ON DEATH ROW ARE STUDIED IN THE TWO CONCLUDING PAPERS. EXTENSIVE NOTES FOLLOW EACH PAPER. A COMPREHENSIVE INDEX IS INCLUDED. FOR SELECTED READINGS, SEE NCJ 14979, 26370-26371 26374-26376, 30741, 32940, 34683, 35301, 35335, 44979, 46352-46462, (GLR)