DPIC has prepared a new chart showing the number of death sentences in each state by year since 1977. As we have indicated elsewhere, the overall number of death sentences in the U.S. has declined markedly in recent years. For example, the 159 death sentences in 2002 were only HALF of the 320 sentences in 1996. Regionally, sentences in the West have dropped the most, from 66 in 1996 to 21 in 2002. DPIC’s chart is based on Bureau of Justice Statistics’ reports. For more information on the decline in death sentencing, read DPIC’s 2003 Year End Report. For information on the rate of death sentencing, click here.
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