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
- 1,550
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 1,550 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
- 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.
FEBRUARY 3, 2016United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: REPORT FINDS RECORD NUMBER OF EXONERATIONS IN 2015
A report released by the National Registry of Exonerations (NRE) reported that a record 149 defendants
- 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 18, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: 75% OF 2015 EXECUTIONS RAISED SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH OR INNOCENCE
Three quarters of American executions in 2015 involved cases of "crippling disabilities and uncertain guilt,"
- 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 15, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: DPIC RELEASES YEAR END REPORT
The use of the death penalty in the U.S. declined by virtually every measure in 2015.
- 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.
DECEMBER 3, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: COUNTIES WITH HIGHEST RATES OF KILLINGS BY POLICE ALSO AMONG HIGHEST IN DEATH SENTENCES
The counties in the United States that have the highest per capita rate of killings by police officers also rank
- 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 30, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA: DEFENDANTS BEGIN SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES TO CONSTITUTIONALITY OF DEATH PENALTY
Lawyers for capital defendants and death row inmates across the country have begun to respond to what
- 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 24, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: MAJORITY OF AMERICANS PREFER LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE TO THE DEATH PENALTY
A majority of Americans prefer life without parole to the death penalty, according to the 2015 American Values Survey by the Public Religion Research Institute.
- NOVEMBER 16, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Forensic Pseudoscience and the Death Penalty.
USA - Forensic Pseudoscience and the Death Penalty.
NOVEMBER 12, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: FEDERAL APPEALS COURT REVERSES RULING THAT SAID CALIFORNIA'S DEATH PENALTY SYSTEM IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld California's death penalty system Thursday, reversing
- 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 11, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA: RETIRED GENERALS CALL FOR REVIEW OF STATUS OF 300 MILITARY VETERANS FACING DEATH PENALTY
In an op-ed for USA Today, three retired generals call for systemic review of the status of veterans on death row nationwide and urge decision-makers in capital cases to seriously consider the mental health effects of service-related PTSD in determining w
- 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 6, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA: FBI CRIME REPORT SHOWS MURDER RATES REMAIN HIGHER IN DEATH PENALTY STATES
The U.S. Department of Justice released its annual FBI Uniform Crime Report for 2014, reporting no change in the national murder rate since 2013.
- NOVEMBER 6, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA: CALIFORNIA PROPOSES NEW SINGLE-DRUG METHOD FOR EXECUTIONS
California unveiled a new method for executing condemned prisoners Friday, proposing a single-drug lethal
- 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.
- NOVEMBER 4, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA: 2015 WILL BE THE YEAR WITH LESS EXECUTIONS SINCE 1992
After the stay of execution the United States Supreme Court granted to Ernest Johnson yesterday, 2 more
NOVEMBER 3, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: SUPREME COURT HALTS EXECUTION OF ERNEST JOHNSON IN MISSOURI
The United States Supreme Court granted a stay of execution to Ernest Johnson on Tuesday evening, just
- OCTOBER 29, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA: THREE KEY DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES TAKE POSITION ON THE DEATH PENALTY
Hillary Clinton affirmed her support for the death penalty in limited circumstances during an appearance
- OCTOBER 24, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - 4 states have illegally purchased lethal drugs from a man based in India
USA - 4 states have illegally purchased lethal drugs from a man based in India
- OCTOBER 23, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - President Obama Calls Death Penalty "Deeply Troubling".
USA - President Obama Calls Death Penalty "Deeply Troubling".
OCTOBER 23, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: PRESIDENT OBAMA CALLS DEATH PENALTY DEEPLY TROUBLING
In an interview with Bill Keller of The Marshall Project, President Obama said the administration of the
- 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 20, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: JUSTICE SCALIA SAYS DEATH PENALTY MIGHT BE RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Justice Antonin Scalia said today that he would not be surprised if the Supreme Court strikes down the