Death Sentence -

This report examines the current status, legal landscape, and ongoing debates regarding the death penalty, focusing on significant recent trends and historical context.

The death penalty, or capital punishment, is a government-sanctioned execution for individuals convicted of capital crimes. While there is a strong global trend toward abolition, 2024 and 2025 saw a sharp increase in executions within a small number of "retentionist" nations. In the United States, the practice remains legal in 27 states and at the federal level, though its application is increasingly concentrated in a few specific jurisdictions. Capital Punishment | Bureau of Justice Statistics Death Sentence