An Overview of Death Penalty Abolition in 21st Century America

• In Event: Current Issues Related to the Death Penalty

Abstract

One of the most notable, recent policy changes in the United States is the decline of the death penalty. Courts are delivering fewer death sentences, public support for the punishment is declining, and six states have abolished capital punishment since the turn of the century. In this paper, I present a comprehensive overview of all abolition bills that have been introduced across the nation since the year 2000, and I seek to identify the states that may be on the cusp of abolition. I also review the state of our theoretical and empirical knowledge about the socio-political forces that are driving this policy change.

Author

• Kevin Wozniak, University of Massachusetts, Boston