Legislation regarding penalty severity and control over punishment raises questions about the effect of potential penalties on verdicts. Experimental evidence from previous studies is mixed and subject to debate over the worth of simulations. In this study it was expected that the effect of penalties on verdicts would depend on strength of…

Describes each of 20 cases briefly to show the pattern of killers who committed their crime in order to be executed. Concludes that the death penalty itself can serve as an invitation to murder, and asserts that legislators should vote against the implementation of the death penalty in order to save lives. (JPS)

This report attempts to assess the impact on affordable higher education in California of the state's "three strikes" law enacted early in 1994. The report estimates that, as written, the state would not only have to use all expected increased revenues but also find additional amounts to maintain the increased prison population. It…

Contends that often lawmakers misread their constituents' opinions on important issues. Presents data from an Indiana survey that suggest support for the death penalty vanishes when citizens are given the option of life in prison without possibility of parole combined with a requirement of work and restitution. (MJP)

The impact of state funding of higher education and corrections on African American men was studied by analyzing the National Association of State Budget Officers' annual state expenditure reports for the 15-year period from 1985 to 2000. To ensure proper scale, all 1985 figures were converted to 2000-year dollars by using the Bureau of Labor…