DPIC Year-End Reports

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DEATH SENTENCES IN 2012 REMAIN NEAR HISTORIC LOW

(Washington, D.C.) New death sen­tences dropped to 78 in 2011, rep­re­sent­ing a dra­mat­ic decline from last year’s num­ber of 112 and mark­ing the first time since cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment was rein­stat­ed in 1976 that the coun­try has pro­duced few­er than 100 death sen­tences in a sin­gle year, accord­ing to a report released today by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), based on data as of mid-December. Death sen­tences have declined about 75 per­cent since 1996, when 315 indi­vid­u­als were sen­tenced to death.

(Washington, D.C.) The coun­try expe­ri­enced a 12 per­cent decrease in exe­cu­tions in 2010 com­pared to 2009 and a more than 50 per­cent drop com­pared to 1999, accord­ing to a report released today by the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC). Texas had 29 per­cent few­er exe­cu­tions in 2010 than the pre­vi­ous year

(Washington, D.C.) The coun­try is expect­ed to fin­ish 2009 with the fewest death sen­tences since the U.S. Supreme Court rein­stat­ed the death penal­ty in 1976, accord­ing to a report released today by the Death Penalty Information Center. Eleven states con­sid­ered abol­ish­ing the death penal­ty this year, a sig­nif­i­cant increase in leg­isla­tive activ­i­ty from pre­vi­ous years, as the high costs and lack of mea­sur­able ben­e­fits asso­ci­at­ed with this pun­ish­ment trou­bled law­mak­ers. Read ​“The Death Penalty in 2009: Year End Report” at http://​www​.death​penal​ty​in​fo​.org/.