Females are more likely to receive shorter sentences than males. The elderly receive more lenient sentences, and the courts impose the harshest terms on those 21 to 29 years old. Finally race has an impact on sentencing. While research fails to show a definitive pattern of racially discriminatory sentencing, African Americans make up a disproportionate number of inmates. Since 1608 more than 14,500 people have been executed in the United States.
Most executions are for murder or rape.
Thirty-nine states and the federal government use the death penalty. Currently about 3300 people are on death row and between 50 and 60 executions occur each year, with lethal injection being the predominate method of execution. The majority of the executed are unmarried, white males with an average age of 34 and an 11th grade education. Supporters present many arguments for the death penalty. They usually argue that it serves as a deterrent, that it is morally correct, that it reflects public opinion, that it is proportional to the crime, and that error is unlikely.