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
- JULY 1, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Hawaii. $4.3M spent on Hawaii death penalty case's defense.
USA - Hawaii. $4.3M spent on Hawaii death penalty case's defense.
- JUNE 21, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Drug challenges are failing to halt executions, according to Time Magazine
USA - Drug challenges are failing to halt executions, according to Time Magazine
- JUNE 20, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Number of States Carrying Out Executions Declining.
USA - Number of States Carrying Out Executions Declining.
- JUNE 15, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - U.S. Special Forces captured Ahmed Abu Khattala in a covert mission in Libya.
USA - U.S. Special Forces captured Ahmed Abu Khattala in a covert mission in Libya.
- JUNE 5, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - National Poll: 52 % would choose life in prison rather than death.
USA - National Poll: 52 % would choose life in prison rather than death.
- MAY 30, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Federal Judge Liam O'Grady sentenced Jorge Torrez to death
USA - Federal Judge Liam O'Grady sentenced Jorge Torrez to death
- MAY 27, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Florida. Supreme Court Strikes Down Florida's Strict IQ Cutoff for Death Penalty.
USA - Florida. Supreme Court Strikes Down Florida's Strict IQ Cutoff for Death Penalty.
- MAY 10, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - On Cnn: It's time to televise executions.
USA - On Cnn: It's time to televise executions.
- MAY 7, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Panel suggests fixes for death penalty in U.S.
USA - Panel suggests fixes for death penalty in U.S.
MAY 2, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTYOBAMA: THERE HAVE BEEN 'SIGNIFICANT' PROBLEMS WITH THE DEATH PENALTY
President Barack Obama called the botched execution of an Oklahoma inmate "deeply troubling" and announced that he was going to ask the Attorney General to analyze problems surrounding the application of the death penalty in the United States.
- MAY 2, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - UN urges death penalty moratorium in US.
USA - UN urges death penalty moratorium in US.
- MAY 1, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Not all physicians are against participating in executions
USA - Not all physicians are against participating in executions
- APRIL 28, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - More Than 4% of Death Row Inmates May Be Innocent.
USA - More Than 4% of Death Row Inmates May Be Innocent.
- APRIL 24, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - A federal jury in Virginia sentenced Jorge Torrez to death
USA - A federal jury in Virginia sentenced Jorge Torrez to death
APRIL 22, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: AMERICAN MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR HEROIN
State media say a court in Vietnam has sentenced an American to death for heroin trafficking.
APRIL 12, 2014IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: FORMER MARINE ESCAPES DEATH PENALTY AFTER SENTENCE IS SECRETLY REDUCED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON
A former Marine incarcerated in Iran in 2011 and sentenced to death on espionage charges was secretly
- MARCH 24, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Pharmacists urged not to assist US executions.
USA - Pharmacists urged not to assist US executions.
- MARCH 10, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Death penalty states are taking elaborate steps to secure drugs for use in lethal injections, USA Today reports.
USA - Death penalty states are taking elaborate steps to secure drugs for use in lethal injections, USA Today reports.
- MARCH 9, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - “Death Row Stories” debuts tomorrow on CNN.
USA - “Death Row Stories” debuts tomorrow on CNN.
- FEBRUARY 12, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Pew Poll Shows Sharp Drop in Death Penalty Support
USA - Pew Poll Shows Sharp Drop in Death Penalty Support
- FEBRUARY 10, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Obama Administration Considers Assassinating Another American Overseas.
USA - Obama Administration Considers Assassinating Another American Overseas.
- FEBRUARY 4, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - The National Registry of Exonerations says 87 people had their criminal convictions dismissed in 2013
USA - The National Registry of Exonerations says 87 people had their criminal convictions dismissed in 2013
- JANUARY 29, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - The U.S. Government will seek the death penalty against Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
USA - The U.S. Government will seek the death penalty against Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
- JANUARY 28, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - President Obama put new urgency behind his drive to close the Guantanamo Bay prison
USA - President Obama put new urgency behind his drive to close the Guantanamo Bay prison
- JANUARY 26, 2014MexicoDEATH PENALTY
USA - Mexico President Peña Nieto ctiticizes the execution of Mexican national Edgar Tamayo in Texas
USA - Mexico President Peña Nieto ctiticizes the execution of Mexican national Edgar Tamayo in Texas
- JANUARY 19, 2014MexicoDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Mexico today strongly objected to the scheduled execution in Texas on Jan. 22 of a Mexican man, Edgar Tamayo
USA - Texas. Mexico today strongly objected to the scheduled execution in Texas on Jan. 22 of a Mexican man, Edgar Tamayo
- JANUARY 17, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA / Europe. Council of Europe condemns 'cruel' execution of Ohio killer, calls for protest.
USA / Europe. Council of Europe condemns 'cruel' execution of Ohio killer, calls for protest.
- JANUARY 10, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - CNN is going to death row with Robert Redford and Susan Sarandon
USA - CNN is going to death row with Robert Redford and Susan Sarandon
JANUARY 10, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: CNN COLLABORATING WITH ROBERT REDFORD AND ALEX GIBNEY ON 'DEATH ROW STORIES'
CNN is going to death row. The network announced today at the Television Critics Association winter
- JANUARY 3, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Nationwide, 80 death sentences were imposed last year
USA - Nationwide, 80 death sentences were imposed last year