A majority of Americans now believe that a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole is a better punishment for murder than the death penalty.

A Gallup survey released Monday found that for the first time in 34 years, a majority prefer life in prison over the death penalty – 60% compared to 36%. Additionally, it is only the second time that more people have favored a prison sentence, the first in 2007 when 47% believed the death penalty was a just punishment and 48% believed life in prison without the possibility of parole was appropriate.

While Democrats are most likely to favor life imprisonment over the death penalty, support for that punishment among members of all political parties has grown over the last five years. In 2014, 60% of Democrats and 29% of Republicans believed life in prison without parole was a better punishment for convicted murderers than the death penalty. Those percentages have grown in 2019 to 79% among Democrats and 38% among Republicans.

However, a majority of Republicans, 58%, still think the death penalty is better, compared to 19% of Democrats this year.

While a majority favor prison over execution, a majority of Americans are also still in favor of the death penalty. A Gallup poll updated in October asked people if they are "in favor of the death penlty for a person convicted of murder" with no alternative given. Currently, 56% of adults repsonded that they support the death penalty as a form of punishment for convicted murderers, while 42% oppose it.