15 Facts About The Death Penalty In The United States   

15 Facts About The Death Penalty In The United States   

“The death penalty is not a deterrent to crime, and it is not just. It is a cruel and unusual punishment that should be abolished.” – Amnesty International. 

The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is a controversial issue not only in the United States but all over the world. There are strong arguments on both sides with supporters arguing that it is a just punishment for certain crimes such as murder and espionage. Others argue that it deters crime when wrongdoers think of what they could get themselves into.  

Opponents of the death penalty argue that it is a cruel punishment, does not stop people from committing crimes, is applied unfairly, and there is a risk of executing innocent people which is unacceptable because death is a final, and there is no going back once it is carried out.  

When people do wrong, punishment should not only be a consequence but also a path towards redemption and reconciliation. But then again, capital punishment serves as a necessary tool in the arsenal of justice, providing closure to victims’ families, plus ensuring that society is protected from these criminals who pose an irreversible threat. Say when dealing with serial killers, it is important to stop them before they get to the next victim. 

Capital punishment is a highly controversial and debated practice in the society we live in today. Here are 15 facts about the death penalty in the U.S. 

1. Capital Punishment Has Been Around For Centuries 

US Army photographers on behalf of the OCCWC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The death penalty has been used in the United States since colonial times. It was brought to the American colonies by European settlers, and it was used for offenses like murder, treason, witchcraft, and espionage. The first execution is reported to have been in the early 1600s in the Jamestown colony of Virginia.  

During the early years of the United States, the death penalty was maintained and applied in a wide range of cases. However, the period following the American Revolution saw a growing trend toward limiting the use of the death penalty. 

2. Executions Used To Be Done In Public 

George Eastman House, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

During the early years of the United States, public executions were a common practice and form of entertainment until the late 19th century. They were often held in town squares or other public locations, and this was believed to help in reducing crime by serving as a visible and gruesome warning to potential criminals.  

The last public execution in the United States was that of Rainey Bethea in 1936 in Owensboro, Kentucky when he was hanged for raping and killing a 70-year-old woman. Since then public executions have been viewed as inhumane and uncivilized. 

3. Children Also Received The Death Penalty  

CACorrections (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The first person to be executed for being a spy for Spain was a man known as Captain George Kendall in 1608 in Jamestown. Over 20 years later still in Jamestown Virginia, the first woman, Jane Champion, was executed for killing her baby in 1632.  

Ten years later in 1642, the first underage person, Thomas Granger who was 16 or 17 years old was executed. This Massachusetts juvenile was convicted of bestiality, having been charged with defiling a turkey, a mare, a cow, two goats, several sheep, and two calves. He was executed by hanging.  

4. A 14-Year-Old Boy Was Executed Without A Fair Trial 

Spc. Brianne Roudebush, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

In a trial that lasted a few hours and with an all-white jury, George Stinney Jr. A 14-year-old African American boy was convicted of the murder of two young white girls, Betty June Binnicker and Mary Emma Thames, in South Carolina. His conviction was based on an alleged confession, which is believed to have been obtained through coercion. 

George was executed in June 1944, but in 2014 a court ruled that his execution was wrong because due process was not followed when he was tried. This ruling came 70 years later and thus couldn’t help the poor minor. His death clearly demonstrates that capital punishment can be used to execute innocent people and that it can be used to discriminate against people for various reasons including race and poverty. 

5. The Youngest Person To Suffer Capital Punishment In The U.S. Was 12 Years Old  

In 1786, Hannah Ocuish was the youngest person to be executed in the United States in Connecticut when she was just 12 years old. The girl had an intellectual disability and was convicted of the murder of Eunice Bolles, a 6-year-old girl who was the daughter of a wealthy farmer.  

Hannah had confessed to the crime, but she later retracted her confession. There was also no physical evidence linking her to the crime and her trial was very brief. Sadly, she had not been represented by a lawyer, so she was hanged before that year ended.  

6. The Death Penalty Was Abolished Briefly In The 1800s  

Photo by Maria Oswalt on Unsplash

The American Revolution helped to spread the Enlightenment ideas of liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty. After the revolution in 1783, there was limited use of the death penalty.  

Several states eliminated the punishment for lesser crimes and adopted more humane methods of execution, such as hanging by dropping people from high places to reduce suffering. By the mid-1800s, some states had abolished the death penalty. 

7. The Punishment Was Reinstated Later on 

Please provide photo credit to: Florida Department of Corrections/Doug Smith., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The death penalty began to make a comeback here and there in the late 19th century, with many states reinstating it for certain crimes, particularly murder. This time, hanging was replaced by electrocution, which became a common method, with the first electric chair execution taking place in 1890 in New York. 

Decades later, in 1976, the Courts effectively reinstated the death penalty in the United States, so executions resumed in many states, and the death penalty remained a legal punishment for certain crimes. 

8. Some States Have Abolished The Death Penalty Completely  

Photo by Maria Oswalt on Unsplash

Over 20 states have abolished the death penalty for all crimes. Some of the states include Alaska, Washington, West Virginia, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Pennsylvania. 

Capital punishment, however, is still legal in slightly less than 30 states but there is growing pressure to abolish the death penalty not only in the United States but all over the world. 

9. Convicts Spend Years In Death Row Waiting To Be Executed 

Rainerzufall1234, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lengthy stays on death row are common in the United States. While this can be seen as a reflection of the commitment to ensure justice takes place and to prevent wrongful executions, these long waits raise significant concerns. 

There is the argument that these delays can lead to emotional and psychological suffering for inmates and can be financially burdensome for the criminal justice system due to the costs associated with housing and the cost of appealing death row cases. 

10. The Methods Used Keep Changing Over Time 

Ken Piorkowski, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In the olden days, the methods of execution used all over the world were often quite gruesome. They were mostly determined by cultural, historical, and legal factors. Some of the methods used back then included piercing with spears and swords, drowning, stoning, beheading, crucifying, and burning. 

In the United States, different methods have been used for carrying out capital punishment over the decades. These methods vary by state and include lethal injection, hanging, firing squad, gas chamber, and electrocution. Lately, the most common method in the United States is by lethal injection. 

11. The Lethal Injection Drugs Are Hard To Find 

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It has been difficult for some states to obtain the drugs that are usually combined for lethal injections. This is because some pharmaceutical companies have refused to sell these drugs to the States that use them for executions thus creating a shortage. 

When these drugs are unavailable, the states cannot execute because other methods have been outlawed and this results in delays and legal disputes. 

12. The Death Penalty Is Expensive 

Andrew Butko, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The death penalty is more expensive than alternative sentences, such as life imprisonment without parole. The cost goes up because of lengthy legal procedures from the pre-trial investigations, trials, and up to the appeals. The jury selection and getting expert witnesses are also expensive thanks to the unique requirements associated with capital punishment. 

Additionally, the cost of providing legal representation for both the prosecution and the defense is significantly higher than in non-capital cases. As if that is not enough, the actual execution process itself is quite costly because it involves trained personnel, medical equipment, and facilities designed for the processes be it lethal injections or other execution methods. Maintaining and staffing execution facilities and paying executioners also requires resources. 

13. Blacks Are More Likely To Receive The Death Penalty  

Florida Department of Corrections, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Numerous studies have shown racial disparities in death penalty sentencing, with African American defendants more likely to receive the death penalty, especially when the victim is white. As a matter of fact, racial attitudes and stereotypes can influence decisions made at various stages of the criminal justice process, including charging, jury selection, and sentencing. 

14. Death Row Inmates Are Allowed To Order Their Last Meals 

Photo by Prudence Earl on Unsplash

Since time immemorial, death row inmates have had the privilege of ordering a last meal before their execution. How this is done, however, varies from state to state and even from one prison to another. Some states have huge budgets allowing luxury and this leads to unusual and extravagant requests, while others limit the cost or restrict the available meal options. 

This practice of offering a special last meal has been criticized with people arguing that it is wasteful and inappropriate since someone is about to die. The convicts’ last words and moments are recorded for the future.

15. Not All Executions Go As Planned 

Dept. of Corrections, Please provide photo credit to: Florida Department of Corrections/Doug Smith., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Even though executions are nowadays done in private at correction facilities as opposed to in public arenas, sometimes the process does not go as smoothly as it should. There are usually witnesses present to watch, mostly the victim’s family members, the inmate’s relatives, and the press to report on any unusual happenings. 

Private executions are more dignified and reduce the element of spectacle and entertainment. When the process of carrying out the death penalty does not go as planned, it results in complications, pain, suffering, and failure to achieve a swift and humane death for the inmate. 

Those are the 15 facts about the death penalty in the U.S. While the death penalty is still legal in most states, the federal government, and the military, there has been a decline in executions lately.  

With about 4-6% of the people in prisons having been wrongfully convicted, this means the American justice system is not 100% right and errors could occur. If there is even a small risk of executing an innocent person, then the death penalty should not be used.