2023 was the ninth consecutive year that fewer than 30 people were executed in the United States, and fewer than 50 people were sentenced to death, the Death Penalty Information Center states in its 2023 annual report.
Twenty-nine states — the majority — have either “abolished the death penalty or paused them by executive action,” according to DPIC. And only five states, Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, conducted executions, “tying 2016 with the lowest number of states in 20 years. Together, Texas and Florida
accounted for more than half of this year’s 24 executions.”
This year did see an increase to 24 executions from last year’s 18 executions, which “can be attributed to Florida’s return to executions after a lengthy pause as its governor launched a presidential campaign,” the report noted.
DPIC also points out that Gallup released a poll last month that found that for the first time since 2000, when it began asking whether respondents believed the death penalty was fairly applied, 50% said it was not fairly imposed, while 47% believe it is. That’s a five-point increase in the percentage since Gallup last measured it in 2018.