| |
 |
| Death
Penalty: |
YES |
| Prohibit
Execution of the Mentally Retarded: |
NO. However, this state must draft legislation with clear and unambiguous language prohibiting executions of persons with an IQ of less than 70 in order to reflect the recent United States Supreme Court decision Atkins v. Virginia, which held that such executions are unconstitutional. |
| Life
Without Parole: |
YES |
| Minimum
Age to Eligible for the Death Penalty: |
16 (1 juvenile on death row) |
| Number
on Death Row: |
69 |
| Executions
Since 1976: |
6 |
| Race
of Defendants: |
38 black (55%), 30 white (43%) |
| Racial
Make-up of State Population: |
61.4% white, 36.3% black, 1.4% Hispanic, 0.7% Asian, 0.4 Native American |
| Innocents
Exonerated: |
YES (1). Sabrina Butler was released in 1995 after serving 5 years on death row. |
| Columbia
University Study Rate of Error in Capital Cases: |
91% |
| Murder
Rate: |
7.7 per 100,000 (ranked 9th out of 51) |
| Governor: |
Ronnie Musgrove, (Democrat),
|
| Presidential
Vote: |
58% Bush, 38% Gore, 3% Nader |
| Public
Opinion on the Death Penalty: |
Unknown |
| Organizations
Endorsing a Moratorium: |
St. Francis Of Assisi Catholic Church (New Albany)
|
| Organizations
Working FOR a Moratorium: |
ACLU of Mississippi
P.O. Box 2242
Jackson, MS 39335
David Ingerbretsen, Shelia O'Flaherty-contacts
601-335-6464--(day)
601-355-6465--(fax)
[email protected]
www.2.msaclu.org/ma/
Amnesty International State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator
Ken McGill-contact
662-280-9097-phone
[email protected]
Amnesty International State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator
Cindy Ponder-contact
601-266-2815-(phone)
[email protected]
Mississippi Workers Center for Human Rights
213 Main Street
Greenville, MS 38701
Jaribu Hill-contact
662-334-1122-(day)
662-335-3276-(eve)
662-334-1274-(fax)
[email protected]
Mississippians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty*
7760 Deerfield CV
Southaven, MS
Ken McGill-contact
662-280-9097 or 901-336-6932-(phone)
[email protected] |
| Clemency: |
The Governor has sole clemency authority. The State Parole Board has responsibility to investigate clemency recommendations at the request of the Governor. |
| Who
Decides Sentence: |
Jury |
| Method
of Execution: |
Lethal injection |
