United States
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 16
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 47
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · The pace of USA executions is on the rise, pushed by...
- News items in the archive
- 1,549
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
United States is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 16 executions in the country, against 47 the year before. The archive holds 1,549 news items on United States, from 1999 to today.
In the United States the death penalty is a matter for the individual states as well as the federal government: some have abolished it, some retain it without applying it, and some carry out executions regularly. The prevailing method is lethal injection, and several states have reintroduced alternative methods.
Its death rows are among the most populated in the world and the wait often lasts decades. The debate concerns the availability of the drugs, wrongful convictions and the conditions of isolation. The archive follows executions, stays, commutations and court decisions, state by state.
Latest news
JUNE 29, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - California. COVID-19 Infects Nearly 200 on California’s Death Row, and 89 members of staff, and 1 death
USA - California. COVID-19 Infects Nearly 200 on California’s Death Row, and 89 members of staff, and 1 death
- JUNE 29, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. J. J. DeAngelo pleads guilty to 13 homicides, and avoids death penalty.
USA - California. J. J. DeAngelo pleads guilty to 13 homicides, and avoids death penalty.
JUNE 25, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUNITED STATES: 1,344 PRISONERS ARE ON DEATH ROWS IN VIOLATION OF U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS (DPIC REPORT)
1,344 current prisoners on 26 state, federal, or U.S. military death rows have been incarcerated facing execution for more than 20 years, in violation of U.S. human rights obligations, according to the Death Penalty Information Centre.
- JUNE 23, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Gallup poll: record low 54% say death penalty is morally acceptable.
USA - Gallup poll: record low 54% say death penalty is morally acceptable.
- JUNE 22, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - DPIC Report — 1,344 Prisoners are on U.S. Death Rows in Violation of U.S. Human Rights Obligations
USA - DPIC Report — 1,344 Prisoners are on U.S. Death Rows in Violation of U.S. Human Rights Obligations
JUNE 18, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Utah. Utah has gone more than a decade without carrying out an execution.
USA - Utah. Utah has gone more than a decade without carrying out an execution.
JUNE 15, 2020Governo Federale degli Stati UnitiDEATH PENALTYUSA - 4 federal executions scheduled in July and August. These executions are unlikely to occur.
USA - 4 federal executions scheduled in July and August. These executions are unlikely to occur.
JUNE 14, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: ‘BLACK LIVES MATTER’, BUT IS IT ONLY RACISM?
For some years, Hands off Cain has published the annual number of people killed by the police.
JUNE 9, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Florida. Governor Signs Bill Authorizing Compensation for Death-Row Exoneree Clifford Williams.
USA - Florida. Governor Signs Bill Authorizing Compensation for Death-Row Exoneree Clifford Williams.
JUNE 6, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: PAUL BROWNING BECOMES THE 168TH PERSON EXONERATED FROM DEATH ROW
The Nevada Supreme Court affirmed the August 21, 2019 decision of a Las Vegas trial court that had dismissed all charges against former death-row prisoner Paul Browning, formally completing his exoneration.
JUNE 5, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Pennsylvania. Walter Ogrod leaves prison after 28 years.
USA - Pennsylvania. Walter Ogrod leaves prison after 28 years.
- JUNE 4, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Prisoners' swap with US, Michael White and Majid Taheri
IRAN - Prisoners' swap with US, Michael White and Majid Taheri
MAY 25, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: ZACARIAS MOUSSAOUI SAYS HE IS RENOUNCING TERRORISM, AL-QAIDA AND THE ISLAMIC STATE
Zacarias Moussaoui, the only man ever convicted in a U.S. court for a role in the Sept. 11 attacks, now says he is renouncing terrorism, al-Qaida and the Islamic State.
MAY 23, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Hannah Cox, of Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty: “Death Penalty is Now a GOP Fringe Position”
USA - Hannah Cox, of Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty: “Death Penalty is Now a GOP Fringe Position”
- MAY 20, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Zacarias Moussaoui says he is renouncing terrorism
USA - Zacarias Moussaoui says he is renouncing terrorism
MAY 15, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Oregon. Department of Corrections is closing death row
USA - Oregon. Department of Corrections is closing death row
MAY 8, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYIRAN - The body of Ali Ajami, Iranian human rights activist, found in Texas on May 6, 2020.
IRAN - The body of Ali Ajami, Iranian human rights activist, found in Texas on May 6, 2020.
APRIL 27, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: DOCTORS ASK DEATH PENALTY STATES TO GIVE UP EXECUTION DRUGS FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS
There’s a national shortage of the drugs used to treat COVID-19 patients in ICU beds, and a group of doctors penned a letter asking Oklahoma to share its supply with local hospitals. The drugs were originally designed for medical use.
- APRIL 21, 2020LouisianaDEATH PENALTY
USA - U.S. Supreme Court: Unanimous jury verdict required to convict.
USA - U.S. Supreme Court: Unanimous jury verdict required to convict.
APRIL 21, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Ohio. 4,000 coronavirus cases in the Ohio prison system
USA - Ohio. 4,000 coronavirus cases in the Ohio prison system
- APRIL 21, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Doctors Ask Death Penalty States to Give up Execution Drugs for COVID-19 Patients.
USA - Doctors Ask Death Penalty States to Give up Execution Drugs for COVID-19 Patients.
APRIL 20, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Michigan. William Garrison died of COVID-19 a few days before his release after serving 44 years.
USA - Michigan. William Garrison died of COVID-19 a few days before his release after serving 44 years.
APRIL 15, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Two tv series about death penalty.
USA - Two tv series about death penalty.
APRIL 12, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Military. David Bruck Is Selected for Guantánamo’s 9/11 Trial
USA - Military. David Bruck Is Selected for Guantánamo’s 9/11 Trial
- APRIL 11, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Virginia. New law reduces secrecy in executions.
SB 270 signed by governor Ralph Northam.
- APRIL 8, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Prisoners and COVID-19
USA - Prisoners and COVID-19
- APRIL 7, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Federal. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overtured an injunction against the Trump administration’s plan to restart federal executions
USA - Federal. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit overtured an injunction against the Trump administration’s plan to restart federal executions
APRIL 3, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - 2019 Exoneration Report
USA - 2019 Exoneration Report
- MARCH 27, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Coronavirus Pandemic Halts Executions, Perhaps for the Foreseeable Future.
USA - Coronavirus Pandemic Halts Executions, Perhaps for the Foreseeable Future.
- MARCH 25, 2020United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
UK - USA. United Kingdom Supreme Court Rules Britain Cannot Provide Evidence to U.S. for Use in Death-Penalty Cases.
UK - USA. United Kingdom Supreme Court Rules Britain Cannot Provide Evidence to U.S. for Use in Death-Penalty Cases.