Criminology Commons^™

Disaggregation In Deterrence And Death Penalty Research: The Case Of Murder In Chicago, William C. Bailey

Sociology & Criminology Faculty Publications

This article examines the deterrent effect of executions on first-degree murders in Chicago, Illinois for the period 1915-1921. Chicago provides an ideal research setting since there is close geographic proximity between the place where first-degree murders are committed and the place where the convicted murderers are executed. The population density factor included in the model is very highly correlated with the nonwhite population, male population fifteen to thirty-four years of age, and the foreign born population variables. In examining monthly first-degree murders and total criminal homicides, two execution measures are utilized: the actual number of monthly executions, and a dummy …