From [HERE] The United States has reached a milestone in the administration of capital punishment this week. All four scheduled executions in Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Alabama took place, marking the 1600th execution in the modern era of the death penalty in the U.S., despite public opinion polls showing growing concerns about the fairness and accuracy of the death penalty and declining support for its use.

The majority of U.S. states have either abandoned use of the death penalty entirely or paused executions (29 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government). A Gallup poll recently found that the percentage of Americans who believe the death penalty is used unfairly increased to 50%, while overall support for the death penalty has been steadily decreasing since 1994, now at a slim majority of 53%. Unlike past years, the death penalty isn’t among top voter priorities during this election year, and neither national political party even mentions use of the death penalty in their platforms.

While all the data continue to show a decline in use and support, a handful of state elected officials have recently expanded use of the death penalty. Utah, South Carolina, Idaho, and Indiana scheduled executions in 2024 after at least a decade-long pause. Several state legislatures have also authorized new methods of execution, and two states (Florida and Tennessee) have added new death-eligible crimes. DPI research suggests that these officials are largely out of step with increasing public concern about the fairness and accuracy of capital punishment—and that zealous approaches to using the death penalty that were once popular are no longer winning the same levels of voter support.

DPI’s data show that even at the peak of use and public support, the death penalty has never been a majority state practice. Since 2012, the number of states conducting executions has remained below 20% in any given year. [MORE]