PUBLICATION ADVISORY

BJS Releases Capital Punishment, 2021 – Statistical Tables

The Bureau of Justice Statistics, in the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, today released Capital Punishment, 2021 – Statistical Tables. The report presents statistics on prisoners who were under sentence of death in 2021, a summary of state and federal death penalty laws in 2021, and historical trends in executions.

The report provides data on which jurisdictions have the death penalty, which jurisdictions carried out an execution in 2021, and which methods of execution are authorized in each jurisdiction. The report includes advance counts of 2022 executions. The report also presents demographics (including sex, race and ethnicity, age, and education) and the criminal history of persons under sentence of death. BJS collects information about capital punishment each year through the National Prisoner Statistics program.

“2021 marked the 21^st consecutive year of declines in the number of people being held under sentence of death,” noted Kevin M. Scott, PhD, acting director of BJS.

About the Bureau of Justice Statistics

The Bureau of Justice Statistics of the U.S. Department of Justice is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing and disseminating reliable statistics on crime and criminal justice in the United States. Kevin M. Scott, PhD, is the acting director. More information about BJS and criminal justice statistics can be found at bjs.ojp.gov.

About the Office of Justice Programs

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

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OFFICE: bjs.ojp.gov
CONTACT: OJP Media at ojpmedia@usdoj.gov