Methods of Execution Used in Capital Punishment and States That Have Abolished the Death Penalty
Updated March 10, 2023 |
Infoplease Staff
Find information about each U.S. state's stance on capital punishment and method of execution where applicable. As of May 2013, 18 states and the District of Columbia have abolished the death penalty.
State | Method |
---|---|
Alabama | Lethal injection or electrocution |
Alaska | No death penalty |
Arizona1 | Lethal injection or gas |
Arkansas2, * | Lethal injection or electrocution |
California* | Lethal injection or gas |
Colorado* | Lethal injection |
Connecticut | No death penalty |
Delaware* | Lethal injection |
District of Columbia | No death penalty |
Florida | Lethal injection or electrocution |
Georgia | Lethal injection |
Hawaii | No death penalty |
Idaho | Lethal injection or firing squad |
Illinois | No death penalty |
Indiana | Lethal injection |
Iowa | No death penalty |
Kansas | Lethal injection |
Kentucky3, * | Lethal injection or electrocution |
Louisiana | Lethal injection |
Maine | No death penalty |
Maryland4 | No death penalty |
Massachusetts | No death penalty |
Michigan | No death penalty |
Minnesota | No death penalty |
Mississippi | Lethal injection |
Missouri | Lethal injection or gas |
Montana | Lethal injection |
Nebraska | Electrocution |
Nevada* | Lethal injection |
New Hampshire5 | Lethal injection or hanging |
New Jersey | No death penalty |
New Mexico | No death penalty |
New York | No death penalty |
North Carolina* | Lethal injection |
North Dakota* | No death penalty |
Ohio | Lethal injection |
Oklahoma6 | Lethal injection, electrocution, or firing squad |
Oregon | Lethal injection |
Pennsylvania | Lethal injection |
Rhode Island | No death penalty |
South Carolina | Lethal injection or electrocution |
South Dakota | Lethal injection |
Tennessee7, * | Lethal injection or electrocution |
Texas | Lethal injection |
Utah | Lethal injection |
Vermont | No death penalty |
Virginia | Lethal injection or electrocution |
Washington | Lethal injection or hanging |
West Virginia | No death penalty |
Wisconsin | No death penalty |
Wyoming8 | Lethal injection or gas |
Federal system9 | Lethal injection |
American Samoa | No death penalty |
Guam | No death penalty |
Puerto Rico | No death penalty |
Virgin Islands | No death penalty |
NOTE: As of March 1, 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution bars capital punishment for crimes committed before the age of 18.
1. For those sentenced after 11/15/92, only lethal injection is authorized.
2. For those whose capital offense occurred on or after 7/4/83, only lethal injection is authorized.
3. For those sentenced on or after 3/31/98, only lethal injection is authorized.
4. For those sentenced on or after 3/25/94, only lethal injection is authorized.
5. Hanging is authorized only if lethal injection cannot be given.
6. Electrocution is authorized if lethal injection is ever held to be unconstitutional, and firing squad if both lethal injection and electrocution are held unconstitutional.
7. For those whose capital offense occurred after 12/31/98, only lethal injection is authorized.
8. Lethal gas is authorized if lethal injection is ever held to be unconstitutional.
9. For offenses under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, the method is that of the state in which the conviction took place.
* Executions in these states are on hold as lethal injection as the method of execution is being challenged in courts.
Source: Capital Punishment U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, and the Death Penalty Information Center, updated 2011.
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