Capital Punishment, 2019

"Presents statistics on the death penalty. The report discusses the number of states that have authorized the death penalty, the methods of execution, and the number and demographics of prisoners who were under sentence of death during 2019. The report also provides data on the number of prisoners executed in 2019 and advance counts of executions in 2020. Findings are based on data from BJS’s Capital Punishment (NPS-8) series, which has annually collected data on national and state-level year-end counts of persons sentenced to death since 1953 and persons executed since 1930.

Downloads

• Full report, (PDF 1.2M)
• Data tables, (Zip format 8K)
• Prisoners Executed, Data table (CSV 8K)

Highlights

• Eleven states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) received a total of 31 prisoners under sentence of death in 2019.
• Seven states executed a total of 22 prisoners in 2019
• Twenty-one states and the BOP removed a total of 65 prisoners from under sentence of death by means other than execution.
• The New Hampshire legislature repealed the death penalty provision of the capital murder statute, but the repeal was prospective, leaving one male prisoner under a previously imposed sentence of death.
• The New Mexico Supreme Court declared the state capital statute unconstitutional, and the two prisoners under sentence of death were resentenced to life..."
Capital punishment 

Capital Punishment, 2017: Selected Findings

"Provides statistics from the Bureau of Justice Statistics' annual data collection on capital punishment. It includes statistics on the number of prisoners executed each year from 1977 through 2017, the number and race of prisoners under sentence of death at year-end 2017 by state, and the average elapsed time from sentence to execution by year from 1977 through 2017.
Highlights:

• At year-end 2017, a total of 32 states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) held 2,703 prisoners under sentence of death, which was 94 (3%) less than at year-end 2016.
• In 2017, the number of prisoners held under sentence of death declined for the 17th consecutive year.
• Eighteen states held fewer prisoners under sentence of death at year-end 2017 than at year-end 2016, 3 states and the BOP held more prisoners, and 11 states held the same number.
• Three states accounted for 59% of the national decline in prisoners under sentence of death in 2017: Florida (down 33 prisoners), Delaware (down 12), and Texas (down 10)..."
  Capital punishment

Federal Government to Resume Capital Punishment After Nearly Two Decade Lapse

"Attorney General William P. Barr has directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to adopt a proposed Addendum to the Federal Execution Protocol—clearing the way for the federal government to resume capital punishment after a nearly two decade lapse, and bringing justice to victims of the most horrific crimes.  The Attorney General has further directed the Acting Director of the BOP, Hugh Hurwitz, to schedule the executions of five death-row inmates convicted of murdering, and in some cases torturing and raping, the most vulnerable in our society—children and the elderly.

“Congress has expressly authorized the death penalty through legislation adopted by the people’s representatives in both houses of Congress and signed by the President,” Attorney General Barr said.  “Under Administrations of both parties, the Department of Justice has sought the death penalty against the worst criminals, including these five murderers, each of whom was convicted by a jury of his peers after a full and fair proceeding.  The Justice Department upholds the rule of law—and we owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system.”

The Federal Execution Protocol Addendum, which closely mirrors protocols utilized by several states, including currently Georgia, Missouri, and Texas, replaces the three-drug procedure previously used in federal executions with a single drug—pentobarbital.  Since 2010, 14 states have used pentobarbital in over 200 executions, and federal courts, including the Supreme Court, have repeatedly upheld the use of pentobarbital in executions as consistent with the Eighth Amendment..."
Capital punishment

Capital Punishment, 2016 - Statistical Brief

"Presents statistics on persons under sentence of death at year-end 2016, including summary trends in the population, admissions to and releases from death row, the number of persons executed, and an advance count of executions in 2017. Data are from BJS's National Prisoner Statistics (NPS-8) series.

Highlights:

• At year-end 2016, a total of 32 states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) held 2,814 prisoners under sentence of death, which was 58 (2%) fewer than at year-end 2015.
• California (26%), Florida (14%), and Texas (9%) held nearly half (49%) of the nation's prisoners under sentence of death at year-end 2016; in 2016, Texas executed seven prisoners, Florida executed one, and California did not execute any prisoners.
• In 2016, the number of prisoners under sentence of death decreased for the sixteenth consecutive year.
• Twelve states received a total of 32 prisoners under sentence of death in 2016.
• Five states executed a total of 20 prisoners in 2016, with Georgia (9) and Texas (7) accounting for 80% of executions..."
  Capital punishment

Capital Punishment, 2010 - Statistical Tables

"Presents characteristics of persons under sentence of death on December 31, 2010, and persons executed in 2010. Preliminary data on executions by states during 2011 are included. Tables present state-by-state information on the movement of prisoners into and out of death sentence status during 2010, status of capital statutes, and methods of execution. Tables also summarize data on offender characteristics, such as sex, race, Hispanic origin, and time between death sentence and execution. Data are from the National Prisoner Statistics (NPS-8) series.

Highlights include the following:

At yearend 2010, 36 states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons held 3,158 inmates under sentence of death, 15 fewer inmates than at yearend 2009.
Between January 1 and December 19, 2011, 13 states executed 43 inmates, which was 3 fewer than the number executed as of the same date in 2010.
During 2010, 119 inmates were removed from under sentence: 46 were executed, 20 died by means other than execution, and 53 were removed as a result of sentences or convictions overturned or commutations of sentences..."
View full report.