Chapter 3.6, Problem 49E

In 1981 a study on race and the death penalty was released. The data in Figure 3.52 are from that study.

Death penalty imposed?	Victim’s race	Defendant’s race	Frequency
Yes	White	White	19
Yes	White	Black	11
Yes	Black	White	0
Yes	Black	Black	6
No	White	White	132
No	White	Black	152
No	Black	White	9
No	Black	Black	97

Figure 3.52 Race and the death penalty. Source: M. Radelet (1981) “Racial Characteristics and the Imposition of the Death Penalty.” American Sociological Review, 46, 918-927.

a. Find p(death penalty imposed | victim white and defendant white).

b. Find p(death penalty imposed | victim white and defendant black).

c. Find p(death penalty imposed | victim black and defendant white).

d. Find p(death penalty imposed | victim black and defendant black).

e. What can you conclude from parts (a) through (d)?

f. Determine what other conditional probabilities would affect this issue, and calculate those probabilities.

g. Discuss your results.