As of August 8, 2024, Texas has executed a total of 598 people since the reinstatement of capital punishment in the United States in 1976. Oklahoma had the second-highest number of executed inmates, with 125 executions carried out since 1976.

Top 25 death sentencing counties, with cumulative homicides.

1. Context

Capital punishment is one of the controversial human rights issues in the United States. While surfing the Internet for an interesting dataset, I came across this database by Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which comprises of the offenders' last words before execution. Some of the statements are:

"...Young people, listen to your parents; always do what they tell you to do, go to school, learn from your mistakes. Be careful before you sign anything with your name. Never, despite what other people say..." (Ramiro Hernandez, executed on April 9th, 2014)

"First and foremost I'd like to say, "Justice has never advanced by taking a life" by Coretta Scott King. Lastly, to my wife and to my kids, I love y'all forever and always. That's it." (Taichin Preyor, executed on July 27th, 2017)

As I skimmed these lines, I decided to create this dataset.

2. Content

This dataset includes information on criminals executed by Texas Department of Criminal Justice from 1982 to November 8th, 2017. In Furman v Georgia in 1972, the Supreme Court considered a group of consolidated cases, whereby it severely restricted the death penalty. However, like other states, Texas adjusted its legislation to address the Court's concern and once again allow for capital punishment in 1973. Texas adopted execution by lethal injection in 1977 and in 1982, the starting year of this dataset, the first offender was executed by this method.

The dataset consists of 545 observations with 21 variables. They are:
- Execution: The order of execution, numeric.
- LastName: Last name of the offender, character.
- FirstName: First name of the offender, character.
- TDCJNumber: TDCJ Number of the offender, numeric.
- Age: Age of the offender, numeric.
- Race: Race of the offender, categorical : Black, Hispanic, White, Other.
- CountyOfConviction: County of conviction, character.
- AgeWhenReceived: Age of offender when received, numeric.
- EducationLevel: Education level of offender, numeric.
- Native County: Native county of offender, categorical : 0 = Within Texas, 1= Outside Texas.
- PreviousCrime : Whether the offender committed any crime before, categorical: 0= No, 1= Yes.
- Codefendants: Number of co-defendants, numeric.
- NumberVictim: Number of victims, numeric.
- WhiteVictim, HispanicVictim, BlackVictim, VictimOtherRace. FemaleVictim, MaleVictim: Number of victims with specified demographic features, numeric.
- LastStatement: Last statement of offender, character.

3. Acknowledgement

This dataset is derived from the database by Texas Department of Criminal Justice which can be found in this link: http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/death_row/dr_executed_offenders.html . It can be seen that the original one has fewer than 10 variables and is embedded with some links to sub-datasets, so I manually inputted more variables based on those links.

There are some complications with this dataset. Firstly, the dataset was manually created so mistakes are inevitable, though I have tried my best to minimize them. Secondly, the recording of offender information is not complete and consistent. For example, sometimes the education level of GED is interpreted as 11 years, at other times as 9 or 10 years. "None" and "NA" are used interchangeably, making it hard to distinguish between 0 and NA in the coded variable. The victim's information is often omitted, so I rely on the description of the crime for the names and pronouns to make a judgement of the number of victims and their gender. Finally, the last statements are sometimes recorded in the first person and sometimes in the third, so the word choice might not be original. That being said, I find this dataset meaningful and worth sharing.

4. Inspiration

What are the demographics of the death row inmates? What are the patterns of their last statements? What is the relationship between the two?

Observed, predicted, and simulated death sentences in top sentencing counties.

This survey, based on the General Social Survey in the United States, was designed to solicit political, sociological, and economic information from people living in Japan. Questions on crime and the judicial system queried respondents about the death penalty and the appropriateness of punishments given to juvenile and adult offenders, whether respondents had ever been punched or beaten, whether respondents had been victims of robberies within the last year, and whether there was an area, within one kilometer of their homes, where respondents were afraid to venture. Questions on family issues covered topics such as when divorce was the best course of action for those involved, the frequency that families dined together and performed household chores, the health of respondents' marriages, the roles of spouses within marriage, whether one or both spouses should change their surnames, the ideal number of children a couple should have, whether there was a sex preference for children, whether the respondents had pets and the benefits of pet ownership, where respondents would like to be buried, and whether in some cases, physical punishment of children by parents or teachers was acceptable. Questions on finances included items on the state of respondents' finances during the last few years, how their family's income compared to other Japanese families, how their family's income compared to that of Japanese families 15 years ago, whether the income tax rate was high, the amount of pension respondents would receive upon retirement, how respondents' families organized their finances, and the ease of improving one's standard of living in Japan. Political questions addressed whether the government should be responsible for the livelihood and medical care of the elderly, whether the government was usurping individual responsibilities, whether respondents would vote for a woman gubernatorial candidate, government spending, respondents' commitment and sense of belonging to the political process, and whether one of the government's duties was to reduce family income disparities. Also, respondents were asked to rate their political views on a scale from Conservative (1) to Progressive (5). In terms of health, information was solicited on the health of respondents and their spouses, whether a doctor should be able to painlessly end a patient's life if the patient's condition was terminal, whether respondents had signed organ donation cards, and the frequency of smoking, alcohol consumption, and sexual relations in the last 12 months. Quality of life questions addressed the frequency with which respondents read the newspaper, the average number of books respondents read per month, the average number of hours respondents watched television, whether respondents attended any job- or hobby-related classes, the amount of satisfaction respondents received from life, the frequency respondents went on trips lasting at least two days, and how often respondents participated in leisure activities like fishing, jogging, mahjong, etc. Respondents were asked to give their opinions concerning a married person having sexual relations with someone other than their spouse, sexual relations between two adults of the same sex, whether pornography leads to the breaking down of morals, whether the client, the teen, both, or neither party was responsible for teen prostitution, and whether pornography should be banned completely, not available to anyone under 18, or not be regulated at all. Information gathered on religion included whether respondents believed in life after death and whether they and/or their spouses followed a religion and the extent of their participation. Respondents were polled for information regarding their social status, whether it was desirable for three generations of family to share a home, whether men should learn to cook and care for themselves, the trustworthiness of most people, the general motivations of others, whether respondents were members of any groups like religious, trade, or social service organizations, and to what degree respondents utilized technology like computers, e-mail, and the Internet to perform daily life tasks. Demographic information includes age, sex, employment status, marital status, household income, and religious orientation.

【リソース】WHITE PAPER ON CRIME 2003 / / PREFACE / NOTES / Outline_1 / Trends in general penal code offenses excluding larceny / Trends in larceny / Trends in noteworthy penal code offenses / Outline_2 / Trends in special law offenses / Trends in traffic offenses / Treatment of traffic offenders / Trends in drug offenses / Crackdown status of drug offenses / Treatment of drug offenders / Tax evasion offenses / Economic offenses / Other economic offenses / Trends in offenses related to elections / Trends in the application of the regulation holding a candidate jointly responsible / Overview of high-technology related offenses / Measures against high-technology related offenses / Trends in firearm offenses / Disposition by public prosecutors offices and courts on Firearms and Swords Control Law violations / Trends in organized crime groups / Trends in offenses by organized crime groups / Treatment of organized crime group members / Offenses by Foreign Nationals / Trends of foreign nationals entering Japan / Trends in crimes by foreign nationals / Treatment of foreign offenders (received by public prosecutors offices) / Treatment of foreign offenders (disposition by courts) / Correction and rehabilitation of foreign offenders / Offenses by Public Officials / Overview_1 / Bribery and graft / Others / Penal code offenses committed by females / Special law offenses committed by females / Treatment of female offenders / Offenses by Mentally Disabled Persons / Trends in offenses committed by mentally disabled persons, etc. / Type of offense committed by insane persons or quasi-insane persons and type of mental disability they suffered / The mentally disabled in correctional institutions / Offenses Committed by Offenders with Criminal Histories / Offenses Committed by Adults Who Have Criminal Histories / Offenses Committed by Juvenile Offenders with Criminal Histories / Comparison with Crime Trends in Other Countries / Major Offenses / Homicide / Larceny / Overseas Travel and Overseas Residence by Japanese Nationals / Offenses Committed by Japanese Nationals Overseas / Offenses Committed against Japanese Nationals Overseas / Overview of Treatment_1 / Overview_2 / Reception of Suspected Cases / Arrest and Detention of Suspects / Disposition of Suspected Cases / Overview_3 / Defendants finally judged by trial / The first instance / Appeals / Death penalty / Imprisonment with labor for life / Imprisonment with or without labor for a limited term / Fines / Suspended sentence etc. / Detention and Bail / Criminal Compensation / State of Trials and Sentencing in Cases Involving Aum Shinrikyo Cult Members / Overview_4 / Trends in the average daily number of inmates etc. / Trends in the number of newly imprisoned offenders / Characteristics of newly imprisoned offenders / Reimprisonment / Basic systems for treatment / Prison work / Educational activities / Medical treatment and hygiene, etc. / Security / Grievance systems / Cooperation from the nongovernmental sector / Treatment of Inmates Awaiting Trial / Treatment in Women's Guidance Homes / Overview_5 / Organizations for rehabilitation services / Volunteer probation officers and their organizations / Juridical persons for offenders rehabilitation services / Nongovernmental support organizations / Overview of parole / Administration of parole / Other treatment measures / Overview_6 / State of probationary supervision / Various treatment measures / Treatment during probationary supervision_1 / Results of probationary supervision / Assistance during supervision, and urgent aftercare of discharged offenders / Halfway houses / Amnesties / Crime Prevention Activities / International Cooperation in Criminal Justice / United Nations / Summit meetings of leading countries / Other international conferences / Transnational fugitives from Japan / Extradition of fugitive offenders / Assistance in investigation etc. / Judicial assistance / Damage Due to Crime as Shown by Statistics / Number of Victims / Fatal and Bodily Damage / Property Damage / Victims of Sexual Offenses / Relationship Between Victims and Suspects / Criminal proceedings and victims / Benefit Payment Systems for Crime Victims, Etc. / Benefit payment systems for crime victims etc. / Automobile liability insurance systems / Law Concerning Compensation for Damage to Witnesses etc. / Trends in and Characteristics of Juvenile Delinquency / Trends in the number of juveniles cleared / Trends by age group and gender / Trends by type of offense / Trends in the number of juveniles referred by the police / Drug-related offenses / Traffic offenses / Trends in Status Offenses / Group delinquency / Educational and employment situation of delinquents / Family violence / School violence / Bullying and delinquency / Trends in the delinquent rate / Overview of Treatment_2 / Prosecution of juvenile cases / Juvenile hearing / Criminal trial of juveniles / Overview_7 / Admission and discharge_1 / Classification activities / Overview_8 / Adm

This Gallup poll aims to collect the views of Canadians on leading topics of the day. The questions are mostly political, focusing on political parties, policies, and other issues of importance to Canadians and government. The respondents were also asked questions so that they could be grouped according to geographic, demographic, and social variables. Topics of interest include: Barry Goldwater as the next American president; Canada joining the United States; Canadian flag design; Conservative party; death penalty for murderers; Diefenbaker's performance as leader of the Conservative party; federal elections; whether influence or merit is more important in today's world; the Liberal party; major family problems; major problems facing government; Pearson's performance as Liberal leader; preferred political parties; Quebec separating from the rest of Canada; reasons people are poor; smoking habits; union membership; and voting behaviour. Basic demographics variables are also included.

The term "lynching" is believed to derive from the name of Charles Lynch, a Virginia planter who presided over an irregular and unofficial court during the Revolutionary War. Lynch's use of extralegal measures to punish those loyal to the British crown, helped to inspire mobs in later years to administer their own form of vigilante justice outside of the courts. Eventually, the term came to describe cases where supposed offenders were executed through mob violence without a proper trial and outside of legal jurisdiction. The most famous examples of these executions in the U.S. were those where the victim was hanged (due to the relatively large amount of photographic evidence); however, there were also cases where the victims were shot, burned or tortured and dismembered, among others. Lynching before Jim Crow In the early years of U.S. independence, lynching was most common along the frontier and in western territories, due to the lack of established or immediate judicial systems, and most studies suggest that these victims were mostly white and Mexican. Possibly the largest case of lynching (and largest case of mass hanging) in the United States, was in Texas in 1862, in what is known as the "Great Hanging at Gainsville"; this was where local slaveholders organized the mob hanging of 41 white men and shot three others, due to their supposed allegiance to the Union. Following the American Civil War, however, lynching became inextricably linked with racial inequality and white supremacy in the southern states of the U.S., and black Americans comprised the vast majority of lynching victims from 1886 onwards. Lynching of black Americans The Compromise of 1877 coincided with the emergence of the Jim Crow era in the southern states; it saw the removal of Union troops from the south and established political structures based on white supremacy and the oppression of minorities. Gradually, many of the rights and protections that were granted to black Americans following emancipation were stripped away. This period also saw a vast increase in the number of lynchings in the country, with the majority of these cases taking place in the south. Within ten years of Reconstruction's end, the number of black lynchings exceeded those of white lynchings, and over the next century it is estimated that there were over 4,700 lynchings across the country. Of the 4,740 lynchings estimated to have taken place between 1882 and 1965, 3,445 of the victims were black; this equates to over 72 percent of the total victims of lynching, despite black Americans making up just 10 to 13 percent of the total population. Of these 4,700 lynchings, around 3,500 took place in former Confederate states, where the share of black victims increased to 86 percent. As the years progressed, organized lynchings became more infrequent and were publicized less, and the implementation of the death penalty is thought to have replaced the sense of justice that lynching brought to its perpetrators. Nonetheless, it was not until 1952 where the U.S. went a full year without any known cases of lynching, and the final lynching cases were recorded in 1964 (although some have classified a number of murders after 1964 as lynchings, due to their connections with race and civil rights).

The rate of civilians killed by police in the Venezuela is far higher than in comparable developed democratic countries, with 1,830 people killed by police per 10 million residents in 2025. This compares to 69 deaths per 10 million residents in Canada, and seven in Australia - perhaps the two most comparable countries to the United States in many respects. Country with the most prisoners The El Salvador is the country with the largest number of prisoners per capita. This suggests either that they have the most criminals, or that the police make more arrests and judges hand down jail as a more frequent punishment. Costa Rica has the highest burglary rate, seeing almost three times as many break-ins as in the United States, for example. Does weapon ownership contribute to higher number of violent attacks? Other factors may also be at play. One such factor may be gun ownership. If police shootings are more likely to happen in states with a higher number of registered weapons, one could argue that the threat of violence against police makes officers more likely to utilize deadly force. However, countries like Canada also have a high number of individual firearms licenses, indicating that this factor likely does not explain the entire effect. Social factors may also influence this statistic, such as the use of the death penalty. Still, each fatal incident is complex, and the full situation surrounding each involves many factors, meaning that a simple solution is unlikely.