National Geographic - USA (2021-03)

50

100

150

200

250

300

1972 ’75 ’80 ’85 ’90 ’95 2000 ’05 ’10 ’15 ’20

350 Sentences

White

Black

Other

Latino

Idaho 8 Mont. 2

Utah 7

S.D. 1

Nebr. 12

Kans. 10 Mo. 21

Ark. 30

Ky. 28

Tenn. 50

Va. 3

Ga.

44

N.C. 141

S.C.

37

Ind.

8

Ohio 140

Okla. 45 Miss.

40

Ala. 172

Te x.

210

Fla. 337

La. 69

Nev. 73

Ariz. 116

Oreg. 30 (2011)

Calif. 722 (2019) Pa. 140 (2015)

Federal

54

Military

4

Wyo.*

N. Mex.

(2009)

Wash. (2018)

Colo.

(2020)

N.D.

(1973)

Mich. (1846)

Wis. (1853)

Minn. (1911)

Ill. (2011)

Iowa (1965)

W. Va.

(1965)

Vt.

(1964)

N .Y.

(2004)

Maine (1887)

Mass. (1984)

N.J. (2007)

Del. (2016)

Md. (2013)

D.C. (1981)

Conn. (2012)

R.I. (1984)

N.H. 1 (2019)**

Hawaii

(1957)

Alaska

(1957)

Death penalty state

with no executions

in the past 10 years

Allowed by state

1,604

Governor-

imposed

moratorium 892

Year abolished

or moratorium

(1972)

Person on

death row

*W YOMING HAS NOT ISSUED A DEATH SENTENCE SINCE 1982. THE GOVERNOR CONSIDERED A MORATORIUM IN 2020.

**NEW HAMPSHIRE ABOLISHED THE DEATH PENALTY IN 2019. THE REPEAL BILL DID NOT APPLY TO THE ONE PRISONER ON THE STATE’S DEATH ROW.

†THOUSANDS OF EXECUTIONS ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT IN CHINA BUT NOT PUBLICLY ACKNOW LEDGED.

DATA AS OF DECEMBER 15, 2020. ONLY INDIVIDUALS SENTENCED TO DEATH AFTER 1972 ARE INCLUDED.

CHRISTINE FELLENZ, NGM STAFF; KELSEY NOWAKOWSKI. SOURCES: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL; DEATH PENALTY INFORMATION CENTER

PEOPLE ARE ON DEATH ROW

IN THE UNITED STATES

2,555

STATE DEATH PENALTY STATUS

Each dot represents one person now on death row.

NUMBER OF DEATH SENTENCES

BY RACE/ETHNICITY

Since 1972, the death sentence has been handed down more

than 9,550 times. A single defendant can be sentenced to death

multiple times for different crimes, sometimes in different states.

Federal penalties apply

to all states and territo-

ries; the military death

penalty is rarely used.

In 1972 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that

the death penalty violated the Eighth

Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual

punishment. Twenty-two states have abol-

ished it; others have enacted new laws to

conform to the court’s rulings. Today there

are prisoners on death row in 28 states

and in federal and U.S. military facilities.