Death Sentence Now

This report examines the current status, legal landscape, and ongoing debates regarding the death penalty, focusing on significant recent trends and historical context.

The death penalty, or capital punishment, is a government-sanctioned execution for individuals convicted of capital crimes. While there is a strong global trend toward abolition, 2024 and 2025 saw a sharp increase in executions within a small number of "retentionist" nations. In the United States, the practice remains legal in 27 states and at the federal level, though its application is increasingly concentrated in a few specific jurisdictions. Capital Punishment | Bureau of Justice Statistics Death Sentence