---
title: 'NEW RESOURCE: Bureau of Justice Statistics Releases 2002 Report'
description: 'The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) released its yearly report on capital punishment on November 4, 2003. The figures reported were for the year…'
canonical: 'https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/new-resource-bureau-of-justice-statistics-releases-2002-report'
section: news
date: '2003-11-11T20:16:00-05:00'
updated: '2025-03-14T14:22:17-04:00'
source: 'Death Penalty Information Center'
---

The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) released its yearly report on capital punishment on November 4, 2003. The figures reported were for the year 2002. (See also [DPIC's Year End Report 2002](https://files.deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/pdf/2002YearEndRpt.pdf)). The BJS reported that death sentences in the U.S. have declined for four straight years, dropping by almost 50% since 1998. DPIC will release a report with 2003 figures in mid-December 2003. Read [Capital Punishment, 2002](https://ojp.gov/bjs/abstract/cp02.htm).