CRIME : Executions in America
Since the Supreme Court overturned the ban on the death penalty in 1976, 36 states have executed inmates. A status report on executions in America:
Methods of Execution
For the record:
12:00 a.m. May 14, 1994 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Saturday May 14, 1994 Home Edition Part A Page 4 Column 1 National Desk 1 inches; 24 words Type of Material: Correction
Executions--A chart in Wednesday’s editions omitted the option now granted condemned prisoners in California to select lethal injection instead of the gas chamber.
Lethal Injection Arkansas Colorado Delaware Illinois Louisiana Mississippi Missouri Montana Nevada New Hampshire New Mexico North Carolina Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Dakota Texas Utah Washington *
Electric Chair Alabama Arkansas Connecticut Florida Georgia Indiana Kentucky Nebraska Ohio South Carolina Tennessee Virginia *
Firing Squad Idaho Utah *
Hanging Montana New Hampshire Washington *
Lethal Gas Arizona California Colorado Maryland Mississippi Missouri North Carolina *
States with no Death Penalty Alaska District of Columbia Iowa Kansas Maine Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota New York North Dakota Rhode Island Vermont West Virginia Wisconsin
Executions Since 1976
As of today, 237 prisoners have been executed since 1976. 1976: 0 ‘77: 1 ‘78: 0 ‘79: 2 ‘80: 0 ‘81: 1 ‘82: 2 ‘83: 5 ‘84: 21 ‘85: 18 ‘86: 18 ‘87: 25 ‘88: 11 ‘89: 16 ‘90: 23 ‘91: 14 ‘92: 31 ‘93: 38 ‘94: 11
Fact Sheet
* Texas has executed the most people (76) since the death penalty was reinstated.
* Almost 70% of prisoners receiving the death sentence have been previously convicted of a felony; slightly more than 9% have had a previous homicide conviction.
* Ten states authorize two methods of execution.
* About 2,800 prisoners on Death Row; 1.5% are female.
* Requirements vary from state to state, but to qualify for the death penalty, one must be convicted of murder with special circumstances or treason.
* Lethal injection is the most popular method of execution.
* Including the United States, seven other countries permit the execution of minors. Since 1985, nine persons under 18 have been executed in the United States.
Researched by D’JAMILA SALEM / Los Angeles Times
Sources: National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Amnesty International
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