more than 1/3 of N.C. adults now believe life in prison...

more than 1/3 of N.C. adults now believe life in prison is the most appropriate punishment for 1st-degree murder as support for the death penalty wanes, according to a poll released today.
The poll found that 58 % of adults support the death penalty, but only 48 % said it's always the most appropriate punishment for those convicted of first-degree murder, according to researchers at Elon University. And 10 % said the sentence depends on the circumstances.
About 38 % of respondents said they believe life in prison is the most appropriate sentence for murderers.
Those numbers indicated a significant shift from a November 2005 poll that showed nearly two-thirds of adults supported the death penalty, and 61 % said it was always the most appropriate punishment for 1st-degree murder. Just 27 % preferred life in prison.
The poll surveyed 476 adults from households in North Carolina last week, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 percentage points.