American culture - Views on justice and the death penalty

Capital punishment has been a contentious social issue in the United States. Historically, a large majority of the American public has favored it in cases of murder. In 1994 public support reached an all-time high of 80%. It has diminished since then. There has been strong opposition. The number of death sentences has been in a steady decline from 2001 to 2011. 65% of Americans believe the death penalty is justified, although support is lower when respondents are given a choice of the death penalty or life imprisonment with no possibility of parole. 50% of those cited appeal to fairness, or revenge, as being their reason for supporting the death penalty and 11% cited deterrence as a motivation. 29% were opposed to the death penalty. Capital punishment can be used in the U.S. for capital crimes in some states. Currently the use of the death penalty is determined mostly by individual states. As of March 2011, the following U.S. states have fully abolished the death penalty: Alaska, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin.