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
- 1,047
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 1,047 news items on United States, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- FEBRUARY 5, 2016United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Hillary Clinton is partially against death penalty.
USA - Hillary Clinton is partially against death penalty.
- FEBRUARY 5, 2016United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Bernie Sanders is against the death penalty.
USA - Bernie Sanders is against the death penalty.
- FEBRUARY 3, 2016United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - National Registry of Exonerations Reports Record 58 Homicide Exonerations in 2015, Including 5 from Death Row.
USA - National Registry of Exonerations Reports Record 58 Homicide Exonerations in 2015, Including 5 from Death Row.
- JANUARY 1, 2016United StatesDEATH PENALTY
To date, the death penalty no longer exists in 18 of the 50 U.S. States
To date, the death penalty no longer exists in 18 of the 50 U.S. States
- DECEMBER 18, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Report: 75% of 2015 Executions Raised Serious Concerns About Mental Health or Innocence
USA - Report: 75% of 2015 Executions Raised Serious Concerns About Mental Health or Innocence
- DECEMBER 15, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - DPIC Releases Year End Report: Death Penalty Use in 2015 Declines Sharply.
USA - DPIC Releases Year End Report: Death Penalty Use in 2015 Declines Sharply.
- DECEMBER 3, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Counties With Highest Rates of Killings by Police Also Among Highest in Death Sentences.
USA - Counties With Highest Rates of Killings by Police Also Among Highest in Death Sentences.
- NOVEMBER 30, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Defendants Begin Systemic Challenges to Constitutionality of Death Penalty.
USA - Defendants Begin Systemic Challenges to Constitutionality of Death Penalty.
- NOVEMBER 24, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - A majority of Americans prefer life without parole to the death penalty, according to the 2015 American Values Survey
USA - A majority of Americans prefer life without parole to the death penalty, according to the 2015 American Values Survey
- NOVEMBER 16, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Forensic Pseudoscience and the Death Penalty.
USA - Forensic Pseudoscience and the Death Penalty.
- NOVEMBER 11, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Retired Generals Call for Review of Status of 300 Military Veterans Facing Death Penalty.
USA - Retired Generals Call for Review of Status of 300 Military Veterans Facing Death Penalty.
- NOVEMBER 6, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - FBI Crime Report Shows Murder Rates Remain Higher in Death Penalty States.
USA - FBI Crime Report Shows Murder Rates Remain Higher in Death Penalty States.
- NOVEMBER 4, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - 2015 will be the year with less executions since 1992.
USA - 2015 will be the year with less executions since 1992.
- OCTOBER 23, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - President Obama Calls Death Penalty "Deeply Troubling".
USA - President Obama Calls Death Penalty "Deeply Troubling".
- OCTOBER 22, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arizona and Texas attempted to import lethal injection drugs from India, but the shipments were halted
USA - Arizona and Texas attempted to import lethal injection drugs from India, but the shipments were halted
- OCTOBER 20, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Justice Antonin Scalia said today that he would not be surprised if the Supreme Court strikes down the death penalty.
USA - Justice Antonin Scalia said today that he would not be surprised if the Supreme Court strikes down the death penalty.
- OCTOBER 19, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - The largest coalition of U.S. evangelicals has stepped away from its pro-death penalty stance
USA - The largest coalition of U.S. evangelicals has stepped away from its pro-death penalty stance
- OCTOBER 15, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Gallup Poll: Support for Death Penalty Declines 2%
USA - Gallup Poll: Support for Death Penalty Declines 2%
- OCTOBER 5, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - The Supreme Court is starting a new term that will discuss also 3 death penalty cases.
USA - The Supreme Court is starting a new term that will discuss also 3 death penalty cases.
- SEPTEMBER 28, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - The United Nations Recommend End to Police Deadly Force, Racial Profiling and Death Penalty.
USA - The United Nations Recommend End to Police Deadly Force, Racial Profiling and Death Penalty.
- SEPTEMBER 24, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - White House Won’t Weigh in Directly on Pope’s Call for End to Death Penalty.
USA - White House Won’t Weigh in Directly on Pope’s Call for End to Death Penalty.
- SEPTEMBER 10, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - The Marshall Project launches a powerful new initiative, The Next to Die.
USA - The Marshall Project launches a powerful new initiative, The Next to Die.
- AUGUST 24, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - On September 27th, Pope Francis will visit the Curran-Fromhold Correction Facility in Philadelphia
USA - On September 27th, Pope Francis will visit the Curran-Fromhold Correction Facility in Philadelphia
- JULY 16, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - President Obama Visits Federal Prison, extending his campaign for reform in the criminal justice system.
USA - President Obama Visits Federal Prison, extending his campaign for reform in the criminal justice system.
- JULY 8, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Illinois. George Ryan creates death penalty abolition group.
USA - Illinois. George Ryan creates death penalty abolition group.
- JULY 7, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - 94.5% of Elected Prosecutors in Death Penalty States Are White.
USA - 94.5% of Elected Prosecutors in Death Penalty States Are White.
- JUNE 30, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - 462 people shot dead by police this year.
USA - 462 people shot dead by police this year.
- JUNE 30, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Supreme Court may vote against death penalty in a near future
USA - Supreme Court may vote against death penalty in a near future
- JUNE 29, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Supreme Court Narrowly Upholds Use of Lethal Injection Drug.
USA - Supreme Court Narrowly Upholds Use of Lethal Injection Drug.
- JUNE 24, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - U.S. District Judge George O'Toole formally sentenced Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death
USA - U.S. District Judge George O'Toole formally sentenced Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death