Lethal Injection
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico*, North Carolina, Ohio**, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington**, Wyoming, U.S. Military, U.S. Government
*New Mexico abolished the death penalty in 2009. However, the law wasn't retroactive, leaving two people on the state's death row.
**Ohio adopted a single-drug lethal injection protocol in November 2009. Washington state adopted a single-drug protocol on March 2, 2010, though inmates may still choose the 3-drug protocol.
Electrocution
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, [Oklahoma], South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia
Gas Chamber
Arizona, California, Missouri, Wyoming
Hanging
New Hampshire, Washington
Firing Squad
Oklahoma, Utah
Utah no longer offers the firing squad as an option, but would allow it only for inmates who chose this method prior to its elimination.
Oklahoma offers firing squad only if lethal injection and electrocution are found unconstitutional.
Alabama Effective 7/1/02, lethal injection will be administered unless the inmate requests electrocution.
Arizona Authorizes lethal injection for persons sentenced after 11/15/92; those sentenced before that date may select lethal injection or lethal gas.
Arkansas Authorizes lethal injection for persons whose offense occurred on or after 7/4/83; those who committed their offense before that date may select lethal injection or electrocution.
California Provides that lethal injection be administered unless the inmate requests lethal gas.
Colorado Lethal injection is the sole method.
Connecticut Lethal injection is the sole method.
Delaware Lethal Injection is the sole method. Hanging was an alternative for those whose offense occurred prior to 6/13/86, but as of July 2003 no inmates on death row were eligible to choose this alternative and Delaware dismantled its gallows.
Florida Allows prisoners to choose between lethal injection and electrocution
Georgia Lethal injection is the sole method. (On October 5, 2001, the Georgia Supreme Court held that the electric chair was cruel and unusual punishment and struck down the state's use of the method)
Idaho Lethal injection is the sole method as of July 1, 2009.
Indiana Lethal injection is the sole method.
Kansas Lethal injection is the sole method.
Kentucky Authorizes lethal injection for those convicted after March 31, 1998; those who committed the offense before that date may select lethal injection or electrocution
Louisiana Lethal injection is the sole method.
Maryland Authorizes lethal injection for those who were sentenced for a capital offense on or after 3/25/94; those who were sentenced before that date could select lethal injection or lethal gas.
Mississippi Lethal injection is the sole method.
Missouri Authorizes lethal injection or lethal gas; the statute leaves unclear who decides what method to use, the inmate or the Director of the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Montana Lethal injection is the sole method.
Nebraska Electrocution was the sole method until the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled the method unconstitutional in February 2008. In May 2009, the Nebraska Legislature approved lethal injection.
Nevada Lethal injection is the sole method.
New Hampshire Authorizes hanging only if lethal injection cannot be given.
New Mexico Lethal injection is the sole method. New Mexico abolished the death penalty in 2009. However, the act wasn't retroactive, leaving two people on the state's death row.
North Carolina Lethal injection is the sole method.
Ohio Lethal injection is the sole method. In November 2009, they adoped a one-drug protocol, using only sodium pentathol.
Oklahoma Authorizes electrocution if lethal injection is ever held to be unconstitutional and firing squad if both lethal injection and electrocution are held unconstitutional.
Oregon Lethal injection is the sole method.
Pennsylvania Lethal injection is the sole method.
South Carolina Allows prisoners to choose between lethal injection and electrocution.
South Dakota Lethal injection is the sole method.
Tennessee Authorizes lethal injection for those whose capital offense occurred after December 31, 1998; those who committed the offense before that date may select electrocution by written waiver.
Texas Lethal injection is the sole method.
Utah Authorizes firing squad if lethal injection is held unconstitutional. Inmates who selected execution by firing squad prior to May 3, 2004, may still be entitled to execution by that method.
Virginia Allows prisoners to choose between lethal injection and electrocution
Washington Provides that lethal injection be administered unless the inmate requests hanging. In March 2010, the state announced an option for inmates to choose a 1-drug protocol.
Wyoming Authorizes lethal gas if lethal injection is ever held to be unconstitutional.
U.S. Military Lethal injection is the sole method
U.S. Government The method of execution of Federal prisoners for offenses under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 is that of the state in which the conviction took place, pursuant to 18 USC 3596. If the state has no death penalty, the judge must choose a state with the death penalty for carrying out the execution. For offenses under the 1988 Drug Kingpin Law, the method of executions is lethal injection, pursuant to 28 CFR, Part 26.
(Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, Capital Punishment 2006; updated by DPIC)
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