National and local media have focused significant attention on DPIC’s recent 2013 Year End Report. Coverage has included pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, CNN, on the wires of the Associated Press and Reuters, and in hundreds of other articles and editorials. Papers highlighted the main theme of the report, which showed a continuing decline in the use of the death penalty around the country. The New York Times quoted DPIC’s Executive Director, Richard Dieter, as commenting that “A societal shift is underway.” The Associated Press quoted Dieter saying, “I think the decline begins with the revelations about mistakes in capital cases - that innocent people could get the penalty and almost be executed has shocked the public to the point where death sentences are harder to obtain.”

(See, e.g., E. Eckholm, “In Death Penalty’s Steady Decline, Some Experts See a Societal Shift,” New York Times, December 19, 2013; DPIC posted Dec. 23, 2013). Read DPIC’s 2013 Year End Report (view a video, infographics, list of sentences, and more). Read Editorials on the death penalty. See previous Year End Reports.