Opponents of the death penalty got some good news at the end of 2016. A year-end analysis from the Death Penalty Information Center finds that the use of the death penalty fell to historic lows across the United States with 20 inmates executed in 2016. That is the lowest number of executions since 1991, when 14 inmates were executed. [...]
The United States is one of 58 nations, China, Pakistan, Iran,India and Saudi Arabia among them, that have not abolished or otherwise declined to make use of capital punishment. Ms. Rust-Tierney believes the public sentiment away from the death penalty in the United States reflects a growing appreciation that “we don’t need it and the troubles it creates.” [...]
One major reason for the overall national decline was a decrease in Texas, which executed seven inmates this year, a 20-year low, Pew reports. A declining homicide rate in recent years may have contributed to the reduction in capital sentences in Texas, but the state's highest criminal court also sent multiple cases back to trial courts in 2016 because of faulty evidence. [...]
While the numbers were dramatically down, “unfortunately, the 20 executions that took place demonstrate some of the problems with our criminal justice system,” Ms. Clifton said. “This year’s executions were geographically isolated, and many of the executed prisoners had serious mental illnesses or did not receive adequate representation or court review.”
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