Death penalty toolkit – for EU – Jan 2014

In the US, the death penalty is a state issue. 32 out of 50 US states retain the death penalty, and although complete abolition isn’t likely within a decade, there have been some positive steps. For instance Maryland abolished the death penalty in May 2013, Connecticut in April 2012, and Illinois in March 2011. Oregon established a moratorium in November 2012. Legislation to abolish the death penalty has also been introduced in a number of other state legislatures. Debates have focused on the costs of execution and the risk of executing innocent people. In 2013, 39 executions were known to have been carried out, but overall the number of death sentences issued in the US has declined year on year for the past nine years. It is reported that there are approximately 3,200 people on death row in the US.

Learn more about the Death penalty toolkit – for EU – Jan 2014 developed by the British Embassy in the U.S.