US more likely to execute poorly educated people
Offline A newly published study has identified the individuals on death row in the US most likely to be executed.
An artificial intelligence system was fed the following parameters for 1000 inmates incarcerated between 1973 and 2000 (inclusive)
1. Inmate identification number
2. State
3. Sex
4. Race
5. Hispanic origin
6. Year of birth
7. Third most serious capital offense
8. Second most serious capital offense
9. First most serious capital offense
10. Marital status at time of first imprisonment for capital offense
11. Highest year of education completed at time of first imprisonment
for capital offense
12. Legal status at time of capital offense
13. Prior felony conviction(s)
14. Year of arrest for capital offense
15. Month of conviction for capital offense
16. Year of conviction for capital offense
17. Month of sentence for capital offense
18. Year of sentence for capital offense
19. Outcome (execution/non-execution)
500 of these inmates had been executed, 500 had not. After the system had analysed the data a further 300+ inmates were fed into the system and the intelligence was asked to predict who had been executed. It accurately predicted executions with a 90%+ success rate.
Race is a minor factor in determining execution, despite popular thinking.
Women are less likely to be executed than men.
The most important identifiable factor was the level of high school education. Those with a low level of education were positively identified as those most likely to be executed regardless of the severity of the capital offense. One conclusion is that those with a low level of education are less likely/capable to sustain a legitimate appeal.
The US justice system, rightly or wrongly, is failing those incapable of dealing with the system.
M
Forget Jesus, the stars died so that you could be here
- Lawrence Krauss
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Education ? Lots of people are born incapable of average learning, and are unfairly punished. I am appalled by the barbaric death penalty and inhumane punishment of the "captured" sick criminal.
Lots of insight about the brain and learning here. RRS Rev. Real posted this,
Michael Persinger - Psychotropic drugs and nature of reality - 48 min
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4292093832329014323
Atheism Books.
I would say there is a common cause, those with with a predisposition to commit violent crimes generally come from dysfunctional families and are likely to be uneducated as well. It's not so much the justice systems that is failing as it is families and the education system.
Taxation is the price we pay for failing to build a civilized society. The higher the tax level, the greater the failure. A centrally planned totalitarian state represents a complete defeat for the civilized world, while a totally voluntary society represents its ultimate success. --Mark Skousen
I don't know if I'd necessarily agree with that straight away. Of the 1300+ criminals used in the study how many were regarded as poorly educated? I'd have to read the paper again to see if they have that statistic. For all I know people with good levels of education are just as likely to be jailed as those without.
M
Forget Jesus, the stars died so that you could be here
- Lawrence Krauss
The jail houses few professors ..... Why ? See that movie posted above .... The BRAIN !
You guys need to look just a bit beyond the data.
Yes, the uneducated tend to face more sever penalties. Why?
Who do you think defends them during their trials?
Public defenders.
Public defenders are typically defense lawyers too unskilled or too inexperienced to gain employ in law firms who have much better records of exonorating or reducing the sentence of their clients. There ARE exceptions, and public defenders who are very skilled and do what they do out of principle, but they are fewer and further between than the average.
It comes down to money. If you can afford a good lawyer you are more likely to beat the rap, get a more favorable sentence or at least be able to make a decent plea bargain.
If you get stuck with the PA, fresh out of law school with no experience, few connections and an insane case load, you are fucked.
More than anything else, the quality of your representation in the court is what determines the outcome - and quality representation is not free.
Edit: BTW, I'm sure this is also the case outside of the US as well.
I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world. - Richard Dawkins
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Based on my experience working in "the system", I think you're close but not quite there. The largest factor I see in the vast majority of the customers I've seen have a very poor background. Growing up in a house where you don't know if you're going to get fed that night, if you're going to be shot for no reason. Where a large portion of those around you are in the same boat. Where there are many human sharks getting by through crime. It seems a viable option.
I think many people growing up in dire circumstances like this have a harder time finishing school which could account for your diploma statistic. In any event I think it's their economic background that has a more primary, not the only, determination on how they interact with society.
If you want to help cut down on the number of people who definitely NEED to be put down then work on the kids. Help them have more stability. Help them by providing a real life example of how responsible adults interact within society. The Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Big Brother Big Sisters are very worthwhile for helping kids get past their socio-economic status.
One tip though if you do decide to actually step forward and volunteer with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Keep your Atheist status to yourself. They won't actually say that it will keep you from participating but it will. I volunteered for their program where I live. They were besides themselves with excitement after running the background checks and such. But during the orientation meeting where they had some interactive activities with one being to identify your religious beliefs I was singled out and effectively dismissed. They contacted me several times for the next couple years to verify what my religious beliefs were again. Still an Atheist thank you. Nothing. Aside from that I still think it's a worthwhile program, just don't step forward as an Atheist. Lie and claim agnostic.
Respectfully,
Lenny
"The righteous rise, With burning eyes, Of hatred and ill-will
Madmen fed on fear and lies, To beat and burn and kill"
Witch Hunt from the album Moving Pictures. Neal Pert, Rush
I'm sure it's different all over the country but based on my anecdotal experience working in the courts in Seattle, newly minted, inexperienced public defenders do NOT get cases that could result in the death sentence. Not that anyone actually gets put down in Washington state. The public defenders in Seattle that get the cases involving possible execution have all been doing their job for a long time and are very skilled in manipulating the juries so that they never even see half the relevant facts regarding their clients. The system is so rigged in favor of the criminals it's a miracle that anyone is ever found guilty. And there are tons and tons of cases where the guilty go free. You rarely hear about those.
Regarding money and going back to my post above. Most people I've seen caught up in the "the system" come from a very poor background so they don't have even the 50th string of the "dream team" as a possibility.
Respectfully,
Lenny
"The righteous rise, With burning eyes, Of hatred and ill-will
Madmen fed on fear and lies, To beat and burn and kill"
Witch Hunt from the album Moving Pictures. Neal Pert, Rush