What kind of criminals get the death penalty

Death sentences have steadily decreased in recent decades. There were 2, people on death row in the U. New death sentences have also declined sharply: 31 people were sentenced to death in , far below the more than who received death sentences each year between and In recent years, prosecutors in some U.

For both Black and White Americans, these figures include those who identify as Hispanic. Annual executions are far below their peak level. Nationally, 17 people were put to death in , the fewest since and far below the modern peak of 98 in , according to BJS and the Death Penalty Information Center. The COVID outbreak disrupted legal proceedings in much of the country in , causing some executions to be postponed.

Even as the overall number of executions in the U. The Trump administration executed 10 prisoners in and another three in January ; prior to , the federal government had carried out a total of three executions since The Biden administration has taken a different approach from its predecessor.

In July , Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered a halt in federal executions while the Justice Department reviews its policies and procedures. The average time between sentencing and execution in the U. In , the average time between sentencing and execution was 74 months, or a little over six years, according to BJS.

By , that figure had more than tripled to months, or 22 years. The average prisoner awaiting execution at the end of , meanwhile, had spent nearly 19 years on death row. A variety of factors explain the increase in time spent on death row, including lengthy legal appeals by those sentenced to death and challenges to the way states and the federal government carry out executions, including the drugs used in lethal injections.

See Welsh v. Federal capital statutes for non-murder crimes no one on death row for such offenses. Espionage 18 U. For the Media. For Educators. Fact Sheet. Introduction The death penalty in the United States is used almost exclusively for the crime of murder. Louisiana Aggravated rape of a child under 13; La. Georgia Carnal knowledge of a female who is less than 10 presumes force; Ga. Military 10 U. Federal capital statutes for non-murder crimes no one on death row for such offenses Espionage 18 U.

When the death penalty was reinstated in , the Supreme Court left open the possibility of imposing the death penalty for offenses other than murder, such as rape or even armed robbery. However, the Court soon ruled that the death penalty would be unconstitutional for the rape of an adult where no death had occurred.

That ban was later extended to any non-homicidal rape by the U. Supreme Court decision Kennedy v. Louisiana , and the Court commented that the death penalty could no longer be applied for any crime against an individual where no death occurred. Over the years, the number of crimes punishable by death has greatly diminished. Many states have prohibited it completely, and others only utilize it for a limited number of criminal activities.

In most countries, capital punishment has become far more regulated to ensure that innocent victims are not put to death, and that those who are given a death sentence will not be treated with cruelty.