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
- 1,537
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 1,537 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
JULY 31, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYO'MALLEY'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE PLAN: ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY, RECLASSIFY MARIJUANA
Martin O'Malley unveiled his proposals for overhauling the nation's criminal justice system
- 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 16, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: PRESIDENT OBAMA VISITS FEDERAL PRISON, EXTENDING HIS CAMPAIGN FOR REFORM IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. HE IS THE FIRST SITTING PRESIDENT TO SEE THE INSIDE A FEDERAL PRISON FIRST HAND
The president visited the El Reno Federal Correctional Institution in Oklahoma, a complex which includes sections of buildings separated by large green yards and barbed wire fences.
- 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 30, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: 462 PEOPLE SHOT DEAD BY POLICE THIS YEAR
Nationwide, police have shot and killed 462 people in the first six months of 2015, according to Washington Post data.
- 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
- JUNE 24, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA: TSARNAEV FORMALLY SENTENCED TO 6 DEATH SENTENCES
U.S. District Judge George O'Toole formally sentenced Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to 6 death sentences for the April 15, 2013, bomb at the Boston Marathon.
JUNE 24, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Texas. No death sentences in the last 6 months
USA - Texas. No death sentences in the last 6 months
- JUNE 17, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - "Death Row, USA Spring 2015" Illustrates Continuing Decline of Death Penalty.
USA - "Death Row, USA Spring 2015" Illustrates Continuing Decline of Death Penalty.
- JUNE 9, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Opposes Participation in Executions.
USA - American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Opposes Participation in Executions.
- JUNE 8, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - 3 national polls on the death penalty have been recently published, and each gave different results
USA - 3 national polls on the death penalty have been recently published, and each gave different results
JUNE 8, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: DIFFERENT RESULTS IN 3 NATIONAL POLLS ON THE DEATH PENALTY
Three national polls on the death penalty have been published between 1 and 4 June 2015 and each gave
- JUNE 4, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Americans favour death over life without parole by 50% to 45%.
USA - Americans favour death over life without parole by 50% to 45%.
- JUNE 4, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - New ABC News/Washington Post poll shows diminished death penalty support.
USA - New ABC News/Washington Post poll shows diminished death penalty support.
- JUNE 1, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Quinnipiac poll: American voters are leaning against the death penalty in general, except for terrorism.
USA - Quinnipiac poll: American voters are leaning against the death penalty in general, except for terrorism.
- MAY 28, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Which State Will Be Next to Abolish the Death Penalty?
USA - Which State Will Be Next to Abolish the Death Penalty?
- MAY 28, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Federal. Massachusetts. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be formally sentenced to death on June 24
USA - Federal. Massachusetts. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will be formally sentenced to death on June 24
MAY 15, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: BOSTON MARATHON BOMBER SENTENCED TO DEATH, A PURELY SYMBOLIC JUDGEMENT IN A DE FACTO MORATORIUM REGIME
Dzhohkar Tsarnaev was sentenced to death by a federal jury for helping carry out the 2013 attack that killed three people and wounded 264 others in the crowds at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. But his execution may not happen for decades – if eve
- MAY 15, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - A federal jury sentenced Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death for setting off bombs at the 2013 Boston Marathon
USA - A federal jury sentenced Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death for setting off bombs at the 2013 Boston Marathon
- MAY 7, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - The United States legally kill 40 murderers a year, but leave 5,000 completely free.
USA - The United States legally kill 40 murderers a year, but leave 5,000 completely free.
- MAY 5, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Two recent articles have calculated that every year the police kill an average of 1,100 people, and that since 2005, only 54 police officers were indicted
USA - Two recent articles have calculated that every year the police kill an average of 1,100 people, and that since 2005, only 54 police officers were indicted
- APRIL 30, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - About 1,100 police-related homicides in 2014.
USA - About 1,100 police-related homicides in 2014.
- APRIL 29, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - U.S. has 10 times more mentally ill in its prisons than in psychiatric hospitals.
USA - U.S. has 10 times more mentally ill in its prisons than in psychiatric hospitals.
- APRIL 29, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Oklahoma. Supreme Court Hears Challenge to Oklahoma's Lethal Injection Protocol
USA - Oklahoma. Supreme Court Hears Challenge to Oklahoma's Lethal Injection Protocol
- APRIL 29, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Creator of Lethal Injection Protocol Calls Death Penalty "Problematic".
USA - Creator of Lethal Injection Protocol Calls Death Penalty "Problematic".
- APRIL 29, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Il Dipartimento di Giustizia ha confermato che le esecuzioni federali sono state sospese
USA - Il Dipartimento di Giustizia ha confermato che le esecuzioni federali sono state sospese