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
- JANUARY 18, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - 14 activists arrested yesterday at U.S. Supreme Court
USA - 14 activists arrested yesterday at U.S. Supreme Court
- JANUARY 17, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Europe. European court of human rights dismisses appeals against extradition to US by Briton Phillip Harkins and American Joshua Edwards.
USA - Europe. European court of human rights dismisses appeals against extradition to US by Briton Phillip Harkins and American Joshua Edwards.
JANUARY 13, 2012PortugalDEATH PENALTYPORTUGAL: US ASKS TO REVIEW AMERICAN FUGITIVE CASE
the United States asked Portugal's Supreme Court to review its refusal to extradite
JANUARY 9, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTYIRAN: AMERICAN EX-MARINE AMIR MIRZA HEKMATI SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SPYING
An American ex-Marine, who also holds Iranian citizenship, has been sentenced
- JANUARY 8, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Lundbeck is selling the Pentobarbital rights
USA - Lundbeck is selling the Pentobarbital rights
- JANUARY 6, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA. The latest edition of the NAACP "Death Row USA" showed a decrease of 29 inmates in the death row population between January 1 and April 1, 2011
USA. The latest edition of the NAACP "Death Row USA" showed a decrease of 29 inmates in the death row population between January 1 and April 1, 2011
- JANUARY 6, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Doctors from around the world call on Hospira to impose restrictions on sale of muscle relaxant for use in lethal injections.
USA - Doctors from around the world call on Hospira to impose restrictions on sale of muscle relaxant for use in lethal injections.
- JANUARY 1, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
Of the 50 states that make up the United States of America, 38 have the death penalty.
Of the 50 states that make up the United States of America, 38 have the death penalty.
- DECEMBER 20, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - European Union. European Union restricts sale of execution drugs
USA - European Union. European Union restricts sale of execution drugs
- DECEMBER 15, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - The death penalty in 2011: Year end report - Executions Decline, Death Sentences Fall Well Below 100
USA - The death penalty in 2011: Year end report - Executions Decline, Death Sentences Fall Well Below 100
DECEMBER 15, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTYDPIC'S YEAR END REPORT: DEATH SENTENCES PLUNGE TO HISTORIC LOWS
the Death Penalty Information Center released its latest report, “The Death Penalty in
- DECEMBER 12, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - European Union. Europe Restricts Export Of sodium thiopental
USA - European Union. Europe Restricts Export Of sodium thiopental
DECEMBER 7, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: PROSECUTORS DROP EFFORT TO SEEK EXECUTION FOR ABU-JAMAL
Convicted murderer Mumia Abu-Jamal, whose case became an international cause,
NOVEMBER 11, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY'INTO THE ABYSS' REVIEW: EMOTIONS ON DEATH ROW
"Into the Abyss", a Werner Herzog documentary about a killer on Death Row, opens
- OCTOBER 20, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Federal. U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf threw out the federal death penalty against Gary Sampson, 52, white
USA - Federal. U.S. District Judge Mark Wolf threw out the federal death penalty against Gary Sampson, 52, white
- OCTOBER 13, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Galluo Pool: Death penalty support lowest ever
USA - Galluo Pool: Death penalty support lowest ever
- SEPTEMBER 28, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Former Justice John Paul Stevens: I Was Wrong on the Death Penalty.
USA - Former Justice John Paul Stevens: I Was Wrong on the Death Penalty.
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Georgia. White House: No Troy Davis Call By President Obama
USA - Georgia. White House: No Troy Davis Call By President Obama
SEPTEMBER 22, 2011GeorgiaDEATH PENALTYUSA: HANDS OFF CAIN- THE USA AND ROGUE NATIONS USE THE DEATH PENALTY
“It isn't great company to be in, countries that still use the death penalty- the Unites States and "rogue
JULY 17, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: DALAI LAMA PRAISES ILLINOIS FOR ABOLISHING DEATH PENALTY
The Dalai Lama has praised Illinois for recently abolishing the death penalty. That
- JULY 13, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - The Leal Case. The Washington Post: Congress should act before another foreign national is denied consular access
USA - The Leal Case. The Washington Post: Congress should act before another foreign national is denied consular access
- JULY 11, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Idaho. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has thrown out the death penalty of Joseph Edward Duncan, 48, white
USA - Idaho. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has thrown out the death penalty of Joseph Edward Duncan, 48, white
- JULY 8, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Governor defends Leal’s execution despite criticism
USA - Texas. Governor defends Leal’s execution despite criticism
- JULY 8, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. UN reaction to Humberto Leal's execution
USA - Texas. UN reaction to Humberto Leal's execution
- JULY 7, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. U.S. seeks to limit damage of Texas execution case.
USA - Texas. U.S. seeks to limit damage of Texas execution case.
- JULY 7, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Humberto Leal, 38, hispanic, was executed despite Obama's pressures
USA - Texas. Humberto Leal, 38, hispanic, was executed despite Obama's pressures
- JULY 1, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Survey: support for the death penalty remains high
USA - Survey: support for the death penalty remains high
- JULY 1, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - The top United Nations human rights official has appealed to the Texas governor to commute the death sentence of Humberto Leal
USA - The top United Nations human rights official has appealed to the Texas governor to commute the death sentence of Humberto Leal
JULY 1, 2011United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: OBAMA CALLS FOR HALT TO TEXAS EXECUTION
The Obama administration took the unusual step today of asking the Supreme Court to stop Texas from
- JUNE 28, 2011MexicoDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Mexico appeals to Supreme Court to spare Leal from death penalty
USA - Texas. Mexico appeals to Supreme Court to spare Leal from death penalty