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
- 1,543
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 1,543 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 11, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Supreme Court Turns Down New Guantanamo Appeals
USA - Supreme Court Turns Down New Guantanamo Appeals
JUNE 11, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: SUPREME COURT TURNS DOWN NEW GUANTANAMO APPEALS
The Supreme Court declined to take a new look at the rights of foreign prisoners held for the
- JUNE 6, 2012Rhode IslandDEATH PENALTY
USA - Rhode Island. U.S. District Judge William Smith has ordered the U.S. DoJ to indicate whether it will seek the death penalty for Jason Pleau
USA - Rhode Island. U.S. District Judge William Smith has ordered the U.S. DoJ to indicate whether it will seek the death penalty for Jason Pleau
- MAY 29, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - 3 % of US Executions Since 1900 Were Botched, Study Finds.
USA - 3 % of US Executions Since 1900 Were Botched, Study Finds.
MAY 29, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: THREE PERCENT OF EXECUTIONS SINCE 1900 WERE BOTCHED, STUDY FINDS
since the beginning of the 20th century, an estimated 3 % of all executions in the United
- MAY 23, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - A new book explores whether the families of murder victims obtain closure from an execution
USA - A new book explores whether the families of murder victims obtain closure from an execution
- MAY 21, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - A new National Registry of Exonerations – a database of over 2,000 prisoners exonerated since 1989
USA - A new National Registry of Exonerations – a database of over 2,000 prisoners exonerated since 1989
- MAY 21, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - 15 states urged the U.S. Justice Department to intervene to help import thiopental
USA - 15 states urged the U.S. Justice Department to intervene to help import thiopental
- MAY 21, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA: 15 STATES URGE FEDS TO HELP IMPORT LETHAL INJECTION DRUG
15 states urged the U.S. Justice Department to intervene to help import thiopental (brand name
MAY 21, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: REGISTRY TALLIES OVER 2,000 WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS SINCE 1989
The University of Michigan law school and Northwestern University have compiled a new National
- MAY 18, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Foreign Nationals: The Importance of Intervention for Citizens of Other Countries Facing U.S. Death Penalty. A new video
USA - Foreign Nationals: The Importance of Intervention for Citizens of Other Countries Facing U.S. Death Penalty. A new video
MAY 11, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: THE ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH URGES MISSOURI TO END ITS DEATH PENALTY
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch urged Missouri to end its death penalty as the system has
- MAY 10, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Federal. Judge Mark L. Wolf has vacated the death sentence of Gary Lee Sampson, 52, white.
USA - Federal. Judge Mark L. Wolf has vacated the death sentence of Gary Lee Sampson, 52, white.
- APRIL 25, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Jimmy Carter, Former President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Calls for End to Death Penalty
USA - Jimmy Carter, Former President and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Calls for End to Death Penalty
- APRIL 18, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - National Research Council Concludes Deterrence Studies Should Not Influence Death Penalty Policy.
USA - National Research Council Concludes Deterrence Studies Should Not Influence Death Penalty Policy.
- APRIL 18, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA: NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL CONCLUDES DETERRENCE STUDIES SHOULD NOT INFLUENCE DEATH PENALTY POLICY
A report ("Deterrence and the Death Penalty") released by the prestigious National Research
- APRIL 11, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Military. Court date set for 5 in 9/11 plot.
USA - Military. Court date set for 5 in 9/11 plot.
- APRIL 4, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Pentagon approves 9/11 death penalty tribunal.
USA - Pentagon approves 9/11 death penalty tribunal.
APRIL 4, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED, 4 OTHERS CHARGED IN 9/11 ATTACK
Pentagon approves 9/11 death penalty tribunal. Retired Vice Adm. Bruce MacDonald, in
- MARCH 27, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Federal judge bars import of execution drug.
USA - Federal judge bars import of execution drug.
MARCH 27, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: FEDERAL JUDGE BARS IMPORT OF EXECUTION DRUG
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington issued the 22-page decision in a case filed by 21 condemned convicts against the federal Food and Drug Administration, which they alleged had violated its own rules by allowing entry of the powerful anaesthet
- MARCH 23, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Federal. Judge removes 1 of 2 women on federal death row: Angela Johnson, 48, white
USA - Federal. Judge removes 1 of 2 women on federal death row: Angela Johnson, 48, white
- MARCH 19, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Bruce Springsteen is lending his support to People of Faith Against the Death Penalty
USA - Bruce Springsteen is lending his support to People of Faith Against the Death Penalty
MARCH 19, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTYNORTH CAROLINA (USA): SPRINGSTEEN ADDRESSES DEATH PENALTY ON GREENSBORO STOP
Bruce Springsteen is coming to Greensboro, where he'll be doing more than playing
MARCH 18, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: SERGEANT BALES’ LAWYER ADMITS HIS CLIENT COULD BE EXECUTED
Robert Bales, the US soldier who massacred 16 Afghans, could face the death penalty
- MARCH 14, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - About false confessions
USA - About false confessions
- MARCH 9, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - 500 Taser deaths in the United States.
USA - 500 Taser deaths in the United States.
MARCH 9, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: 500 TASER DEATHS
It's a myth that Tasers are less than lethal weapons: Amnesty International recently
- FEBRUARY 9, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Death row inmates sue to stop FDA from allowing importation of drug used in executions
USA - Death row inmates sue to stop FDA from allowing importation of drug used in executions
- FEBRUARY 8, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - The latest edition of "Death Row USA" shows a decrease of 31 inmates between January 1 and July 1, 2011
USA - The latest edition of "Death Row USA" shows a decrease of 31 inmates between January 1 and July 1, 2011