Momentum against the death penalty has been building for decades and support for alternatives is at an all time high. A quick glance at the numbers demonstrates just how much use of the death penalty is declining.
33 states along with 2 jurisdictions (the District of Columbia and the U.S. military) have either formally abandoned the death penalty (23 states and D.C.), or haven’t carried out an execution in 10 years or more (10 states and the U.S. Military).
The number of new death sentences has reached a 40-year low. In 2024, just 10 states imposed a total of 26 new death sentences. This is in stark contrast with the peak of 315 new sentences imposed in 1996.
Today, with just under 2,000 individuals serving death sentences, the number of people on death row is at its lowest point since 1992.
Since 2007, 11 states have formally replaced the death penalty bringing the total to 23 states without a death penalty, and more than a dozen others have attempted to do so in recent years.
More than 200 men and women have been wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death in the U.S. since 1976.
The governors of Oregon, California, and Pennsylvania have vowed not to perform an execution while systemic flaws persist. In Ohio, the governor has also said executions will not be carried out due to issues surrounding lethal injection.
The Gallup Poll has found that support for capital punishment is at its lowest point since 1972, and a majority of Americans say they prefer life sentences over the death penalty. The 2025 poll found that less than half of U.S. adults ages 18 through 54 now support the death penalty.
Your information stays secure with us and you can unsubscribe at any time.
