‘Trends in the Use of Capital Punishment’—Revisited: A Tribute to Professor Frank E. Hartung

Abstract

In 1952, Professor Frank E. Hartung recognized several trends in capital punishment suggesting a movement away from its use in the USA including abolition of the penalty, reduction in capital offenses, permissive death sentences, reduction in the number of executions, selective enforcement of the death penalty, private executions, and swift and painless executions. Hartung’s observations on the use of capital punishment were remarkably insightful given the infancy of death penalty research at the time. The present work reviews Hartung’s observations, adds to his observations using more current death penalty inventories, and supplements Hartung’s concerns with the most recent research findings. The research record on capital sentencing in the USA reveals that Professor Hartung’s early observations remain strikingly relevant more than a half‐century later.

Keywords:

• Frank E. Hartung
• Trends in Capital Punishment
• Abolition of Capital Punishment
• Reduction in Capital Offenses
• Reduction in Executions
• Permissive Death Sentences
• Selective Enforcement of Capital Punishment
• Private Executions
• Swift and Painless Executions

Notes

[1] Andorra, Angola, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bhutan, Bosnia‐Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guinea‐Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kiribati, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia (former Yugoslav Republic), Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States), Moldova, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, Norway, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor‐Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Ukraine, UK, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City State, Venezuela.

[2] Albania, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cook Islands, El Salvador, Fiji, Israel, Latvia, Peru.

[3] Algeria, Bahrain, Benin, Brunei, Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Gambia, Grenada, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Nauru, Niger, Papua New Guinea, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia.

[4] These countries include Afghanistan, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, China, Comoroa, Congo (Democratic Republic), Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

[5] These countries include Bangladesh, Belarus, China, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Korea (North), Kumait, Libya, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Somalia, Taiwan, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.

[6] These countries include Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Barbados, Burkina Faso, Burundi, China, Congo (Democratic Republic), Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea (North), Korea (South), Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mongolia, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe.

[7] Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia have no death penalty laws (Death Penalty Information Center, 2006b).