Sentencing Data
Death Sentencing Rates
Death Sentencing Rate by State
The Death Sentencing Rate is the ratio of death sentences in a state between 1977 and 1999, and the number of murders in that state during approximately the same period.
| State | |
|---|---|
|
Nevada | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.060 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
124 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
2,072 |
|
Oklahoma | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.051 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
257 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
5,020 |
|
Delaware | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.048 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
30 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
626 |
|
Idaho | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.047 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
36 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
773 |
|
Arizona | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.043 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
213 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
5,007 |
|
Alabama | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.038 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
311 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
8,190 |
|
Mississippi | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.035 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
144 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
4,122 |
|
Florida | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.034 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
735 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
21,837 |
|
Ohio | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.028 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
285 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
10,142 |
|
North Carolina | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.026 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
327 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
12,463 |
|
Pennsylvania | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.024 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
316 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
13,095 |
|
Missouri | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.024 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
158 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
6,679 |
|
Nebraska | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.023 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
19 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
831 |
|
Georgia | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.022 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
243 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
10,912 |
|
Oregon | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.022 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
46 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
2,132 |
|
National Average | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.022 |
|
Texas | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.020 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
776 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
37,879 |
|
Tennessee | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.020 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
156 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
7,690 |
|
Arkansas | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.020 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
90 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
4,523 |
|
Illinois | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.019 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
274 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
14,710 |
|
Utah | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.018 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
19 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
1,080 |
|
South Carolina | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.016 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
138 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
8,451 |
|
Indiana | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.016 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
84 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
5,289 |
|
Louisiana | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.016 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
158 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
10,146 |
|
Kentucky | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.014 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
68 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
4,863 |
|
California | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.013 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
652 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
49,943 |
|
Virginia | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.013 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
119 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
9,235 |
|
New Jersey | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.010 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
48 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
4,710 |
|
Washington | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.009 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
34 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
3,628 |
|
New Mexico | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.008 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
12 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
1,480 |
|
Maryland | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.007 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
47 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
6,606 |
|
Colorado | |
| Death Sentence Rate |
0.004 |
| Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 |
13 |
| Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
3,256 |
| State | Death Sentence Rate | Number of Death Sentences, 1977 – 99 | Murders With Known Offenders, 1976 – 98 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Nevada |
0.060 |
124 |
2,072 |
|
Oklahoma |
0.051 |
257 |
5,020 |
|
Delaware |
0.048 |
30 |
626 |
|
Idaho |
0.047 |
36 |
773 |
|
Arizona |
0.043 |
213 |
5,007 |
|
Alabama |
0.038 |
311 |
8,190 |
|
Mississippi |
0.035 |
144 |
4,122 |
|
Florida |
0.034 |
735 |
21,837 |
|
Ohio |
0.028 |
285 |
10,142 |
|
North Carolina |
0.026 |
327 |
12,463 |
|
Pennsylvania |
0.024 |
316 |
13,095 |
|
Missouri |
0.024 |
158 |
6,679 |
|
Nebraska |
0.023 |
19 |
831 |
|
Georgia |
0.022 |
243 |
10,912 |
|
Oregon |
0.022 |
46 |
2,132 |
|
National Average |
0.022 |
||
|
Texas |
0.020 |
776 |
37,879 |
|
Tennessee |
0.020 |
156 |
7,690 |
|
Arkansas |
0.020 |
90 |
4,523 |
|
Illinois |
0.019 |
274 |
14,710 |
|
Utah |
0.018 |
19 |
1,080 |
|
South Carolina |
0.016 |
138 |
8,451 |
|
Indiana |
0.016 |
84 |
5,289 |
|
Louisiana |
0.016 |
158 |
10,146 |
|
Kentucky |
0.014 |
68 |
4,863 |
|
California |
0.013 |
652 |
49,943 |
|
Virginia |
0.013 |
119 |
9,235 |
|
New Jersey |
0.010 |
48 |
4,710 |
|
Washington |
0.009 |
34 |
3,628 |
|
New Mexico |
0.008 |
12 |
1,480 |
|
Maryland |
0.007 |
47 |
6,606 |
|
Colorado |
0.004 |
13 |
3,256 |
NOTE: Data are for the 31 states with more than 10 death row enrollees from 1977 through 1999. Death row data are based on the Bureau of Justice Statistics capital punishment data. Murder data are based on the FBI’s Supplemental Homicide Reports for 1976 – 1998, except for a later starting year for three states, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Oregon, in which post-Furman death penalties became effective after 1977. The death sentence rate is the number of death sentences divided by the number of murders with a known offender.
SOURCE: John Blume, Theodore Eisenberg, and Martin T. Wells, “Explaining Death Row’s Population and Racial Composition,” Journal of Empirical Legal Studies, Volume 1, Issue 1, 165 – 207, March 2004
Death Sentences Per Capita by State
| State | |
|---|---|
|
1. Alabama | |
| Population as of 2010 |
4,779,736 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
457 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.956 |
|
2. Oklahoma | |
| Population as of 2010 |
3,751,351 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
309 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.823 |
|
3. Mississippi | |
| Population as of 2010 |
2,967,297 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
174 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.586 |
|
4. Nevada | |
| Population as of 2010 |
2,700,551 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
151 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.559 |
|
5. Delaware* | |
| Population as of 2010 |
897,934 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
47 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.523 |
|
6. Florida | |
| Population as of 2010 |
18,801,310 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
941 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.500 |
|
7. Arizona | |
| Population as of 2010 |
6,392,017 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
303 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.474 |
|
8. North Carolina | |
| Population as of 2010 |
9,687,653 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
447 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.461 |
|
9. South Carolina | |
| Population as of 2010 |
4,625,364 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
194 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.419 |
|
10. Arkansas | |
| Population as of 2010 |
2,915,918 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
118 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.404 |
|
11. Texas | |
| Population as of 2010 |
25,145,561 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
958 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.380 |
|
12. Louisiana | |
| Population as of 2010 |
4,533,372 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
161 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.355 |
|
13. Missouri | |
| Population as of 2010 |
5,988,927 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
197 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.328 |
|
14. Pennsylvania | |
| Population as of 2010 |
12,702,379 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
375 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.295 |
|
15. Ohio | |
| Population as of 2010 |
11,536,504 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
331 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.286 |
|
16. Tennessee | |
| Population as of 2010 |
6,346,105 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
174 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.274 |
|
17. Idaho | |
| Population as of 2010 |
1,567,582 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
42 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.267 |
|
18. California | |
| Population as of 2010 |
37,253,956 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
922 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.247 |
|
19. Georgia | |
| Population as of 2010 |
9,687,653 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
234 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.241 |
|
20. Illinois* | |
| Population as of 2010 |
12,830,632 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
304 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.236 |
|
21. Kentucky | |
| Population as of 2010 |
4,339,367 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
85 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.195 |
|
22. Oregon | |
| Population as of 2010 |
3,831,074 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
75 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.195 |
|
23. Virginia | |
| Population as of 2010 |
8,001,024 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
151 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.188 |
|
24. Nebraska | |
| Population as of 2010 |
1,826,341 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
28 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.153 |
|
25. Indiana | |
| Population as of 2010 |
6,483,802 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
98 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.151 |
|
26. Wyoming | |
| Population as of 2010 |
563,626 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
7 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.124 |
|
27. South Dakota | |
| Population as of 2010 |
814,180 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
9 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.110 |
|
28. Montana | |
| Population as of 2010 |
989,415 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
10 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.101 |
|
29. Maryland* | |
| Population as of 2010 |
5,773,552 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
53 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.091 |
|
30. Utah | |
| Population as of 2010 |
2,763,885 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
19 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.068 |
|
31. New Mexico* | |
| Population as of 2010 |
2,059,179 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
14 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.067 |
|
32. New Jersey* | |
| Population as of 2010 |
8,791,894 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
57 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.064 |
|
33. Washington* | |
| Population as of 2010 |
6,724,540 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
39 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.057 |
|
34. Connecticut* | |
| Population as of 2010 |
3,574,097 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
16 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.044 |
|
35. Kansas** | |
| Population as of 2010 |
2,853,118 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
12 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.042 |
|
36. Colorado | |
| Population as of 2010 |
5,029,196 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
15 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.029 |
|
37. New Hampshire | |
| Population as of 2010 |
1,316,470 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
1 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.007 |
|
38. New York*† | |
| Population as of 2010 |
19,378,102 |
| Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 |
8 |
| Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
0.004 |
| State | Population as of 2010 | Cumulative Death Sentences 1977 through 2013 | Death Sentences per Capita (x 10,000) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1. Alabama |
4,779,736 |
457 |
0.956 |
|
2. Oklahoma |
3,751,351 |
309 |
0.823 |
|
3. Mississippi |
2,967,297 |
174 |
0.586 |
|
4. Nevada |
2,700,551 |
151 |
0.559 |
|
5. Delaware* |
897,934 |
47 |
0.523 |
|
6. Florida |
18,801,310 |
941 |
0.500 |
|
7. Arizona |
6,392,017 |
303 |
0.474 |
|
8. North Carolina |
9,687,653 |
447 |
0.461 |
|
9. South Carolina |
4,625,364 |
194 |
0.419 |
|
10. Arkansas |
2,915,918 |
118 |
0.404 |
|
11. Texas |
25,145,561 |
958 |
0.380 |
|
12. Louisiana |
4,533,372 |
161 |
0.355 |
|
13. Missouri |
5,988,927 |
197 |
0.328 |
|
14. Pennsylvania |
12,702,379 |
375 |
0.295 |
|
15. Ohio |
11,536,504 |
331 |
0.286 |
|
16. Tennessee |
6,346,105 |
174 |
0.274 |
|
17. Idaho |
1,567,582 |
42 |
0.267 |
|
18. California |
37,253,956 |
922 |
0.247 |
|
19. Georgia |
9,687,653 |
234 |
0.241 |
|
20. Illinois* |
12,830,632 |
304 |
0.236 |
|
21. Kentucky |
4,339,367 |
85 |
0.195 |
|
22. Oregon |
3,831,074 |
75 |
0.195 |
|
23. Virginia |
8,001,024 |
151 |
0.188 |
|
24. Nebraska |
1,826,341 |
28 |
0.153 |
|
25. Indiana |
6,483,802 |
98 |
0.151 |
|
26. Wyoming |
563,626 |
7 |
0.124 |
|
27. South Dakota |
814,180 |
9 |
0.110 |
|
28. Montana |
989,415 |
10 |
0.101 |
|
29. Maryland* |
5,773,552 |
53 |
0.091 |
|
30. Utah |
2,763,885 |
19 |
0.068 |
|
31. New Mexico* |
2,059,179 |
14 |
0.067 |
|
32. New Jersey* |
8,791,894 |
57 |
0.064 |
|
33. Washington* |
6,724,540 |
39 |
0.057 |
|
34. Connecticut* |
3,574,097 |
16 |
0.044 |
|
35. Kansas** |
2,853,118 |
12 |
0.042 |
|
36. Colorado |
5,029,196 |
15 |
0.029 |
|
37. New Hampshire |
1,316,470 |
1 |
0.007 |
|
38. New York*† |
19,378,102 |
8 |
0.004 |
Population based on US Census Bureau 2010 Population Estimates
Death Sentences from Bureau of Justice Statistics, Capital Punishment Annual Reports
* States that have abolished the Death Penalty
**Kansas reinstated Death Penalty in 1994
† New York reinstated Death Penalty in 1995