Summary of

Catholic Attitudes Toward Capital Punishment

Submitted to:

Committee on Domestic Policy

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Submitted by:

Zogby International

John Zogby, President and CEO

John Bruce, Vice President and Systems Administrator

Rebecca Wittman, Vice President and Managing Editor

Christian W. Peck, Writer

Executive Summary by John Zogby

December, 2004

© 2004 Zogby International

I.          Methodology

Zogby International conducted interviews of 1785 Roman Catholic adults chosen nationwide from a Catholic-compiled database of Roman Catholics, white non-Hispanics, Hispanics and African Americans self identified from previous polls.

All calls were made from Zogby International headquarters in Utica, N.Y., from 11/3/04 thru 11/11/04. The margin of error is +/- 2.7 percentage points. Slight weights were added to region, age, race, gender to more accurately reflect the Roman Catholic population. Margins of error are higher in sub-groups.

II. Executive Summary

          The largest and most comprehensive study of Catholic attitudes on the death penalty indicates that, as in the case with Americans as a whole, support for the death penalty among American Catholics has plunged in the past few years. The intensity of support has declined as well. Today, less than half of the Catholic adults in our poll (48%) support the use of the death penalty, while 47% oppose it.  More striking, though, is the drop in intensity of support among those Catholics who continue to support the institution of capital punishment.

          In past surveys, Catholic support for the death penalty was as high as 68%; our latest findings place it at 48% (see Table 2).  Further, the percentage of Catholics who are intensely supportive of the death penalty has been halved, from a high of 40% to 20% in this survey (see Table 3). 

Of particular interest is the finding that frequent attendees of Mass are less likely to support the death penalty. Traditionally, this group has been among the most conservative cohorts on most issues. This finding alone suggests that a coherent message on the issue of life can work among those who have a relationship with a parish - and that the issue of death penalty opposition is consistent with a broader theme of respect for life. Above all, this group is reachable by pulpit and Church events.

          As well, Catholic education appears to be a significant factor as those who attended Catholic colleges and Catholic schools are also more opposed to the death penalty.  Beyond this statistic, though, the lifelong education of Catholics matters as well.  Church leaders are viewed as authoritative figures, and when they speak, the laity of the Church listens. 

          A remarkable consistency exists among Catholics, notably those who frequently attend Mass. The running thread of consistency appears to be on issues that promote LIFE. This consistency among the most devout and loyal Catholics presents a serious opportunity for Church leaders.

          Unlike among the general population, the most popular reason why Catholics oppose the death penalty is “respect for life”. It leads over such important concerns as poor legal representation among the condemned, the conviction and sentencing of many innocent people, and racially discriminatory practices on capital murder cases. It also trumps the issue of taxpayer costs.

          On the other hand, the second most popular argument among those who support the death penalty, according our survey, is “respect for life”. Church leaders have an opening to neutralize this rationale for support.

          There were other concerns raised about the death penalty, including some direct responses to survey and focus group questions and others directly raised top-of-mind from focus group participants. Among the survey questions, respondents - including those who support the death penalty -- agreed that the following arguments would make them less likely to support the death penalty:

n       that mentally retarded people have been put to death

n       that many of those condemned have not access to exculpatory DNA evidence

n       that innocent people have been executed

n       that the death penalty has discriminated against racial minorities

n       that many of the condemned (and executed) have received poor legal representation

n       that people under 18 years of age have been executed

In each of the above cases, it has been a majority or close to a majority who has said they would be less inclined to support the death penalty as a result of each argument.

In addition to special opportunities to reach and persuade frequent Mass attendees of the need to abolish the death penalty, there is a great opportunity to reach younger Catholics. Overall, this group has been less inclined to support the death penalty. While, this group has been less supportive of the Church leadership as a result of the sex scandals and because of the pro-life political activities of some United State Catholic hierarchy, the death penalty is a unique way to reach out and try to bring this group back to the Church. This group is especially moved by the facts that innocent people have been executed or condemned and by the denial of DNA evidence in many cases.

          In at least two of the focus groups, it was noted by mainly opponents - though by some soft supporters - that the criminal justice system is human and can make mistakes. Even more dramatic, some in the focus groups went beyond this to suggest reasons for being at least skeptical - if not outright cynical - about the system. We heard comments like the following:

n       “The system is human and people on juries can make mistakes”.

n       “I don’t trust the jury system at all because lawyers have a habit of playing games to try to win advantage”.

n          “Oftentimes evidence is withheld to win a case one way or another”.

n       “Look at the O.J. Simpson case. That was a tragedy for the American people and for the system”.

n          “Innocent people have been executed. The finality of the whole thing is troublesome. We are human and can make mistakes”.

At the same time, there was genuine skepticism about life without parole as an alternative to the death penalty. Some focus group participants suggested that prison life is nothing but a picnic. “They get cable television, get to finish their education, surgery when they need it”, according to a participant somewhat supportive of the death penalty in Rochester (NY).  But others noted that, while prison life did not fit this description, the notion of life without parole is a “big joke because laws change and a convict can later be released because of new laws.”

          In addition to the overall numbers of support for the death penalty trending downward, the survey yields additional data that should warm the hearts of Church leaders and death penalty opponents:

n          Approximately two in three (63%) of the Catholics polled are deeply concerned about what the death penalty “does to us as a people and a country”. This includes a majority (52%) of those who told us that they are somewhat supportive of the death penalty”.

n       Four in five of all Catholics (79%) believe that opposition to the death penalty is “consistent with the defense of human life”. This includes 69% of those self-described as somewhat supportive of the death penalty.

n       Half (50%) of all polled are more likely to oppose the death penalty if there was a certainty of life without parole”. Again, a majority of those who said they are somewhat supportive of the death penalty (53%) fall into this group.

n       A majority (52%) presently support “a moratorium” on executions. This includes 56% of the somewhat supportive group.

There are doubts among weak supporters and they are clearly opening the door to a campaign that can persuade them.

We were able to deduce from the survey several of the groups that have been more likely to shift from support to opposition among many Catholics. Almost one in three Republicans (30%) told us they once supported the death penalty and have now changed their minds. One in four 30-49 year olds said the same. About the same percentages of men and women have changed their minds as well.