Do any states still use hanging?
Asked by: Annalise Quitzon | Last update: January 29, 2026Score: 4.6/5 (15 votes)
Currently, only New Hampshire has a law specifying hanging as an available secondary method of execution, now only applicable to one person, who was sentenced to capital punishment by the state prior to its repeal in 2019.
Does any state still use firing squad as execution?
Yes, several U.S. states still authorize the firing squad as a method of execution, primarily when lethal injection drugs are unavailable, with Utah, South Carolina, Mississippi, and Oklahoma allowing it as a backup, while Idaho recently passed a law making it the primary method starting in 2026, though recent use remains rare.
Does the U.S. military still hang people?
Since 1916, 135 soldiers have been executed by the United States military, but none in almost 50 years. The last military execution occurred on April 13, 1961. U.S. Army Private John A. Bennett was hanged after being convicted of rape and attempted murder.
What are the top 5 states carrying out executions?
Texas has been responsible for the most executions over recent years by far, with 593 since 1977 as of mid-February 2025. The states with the next-highest totals are Oklahoma (127), Virginia (113), Florida (107) and Missouri (101).
Do any US states still use the electric chair?
Yes, several states still authorize the electric chair, but it's rarely used, with lethal injection being the primary method; however, states like Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Louisiana maintain it as an alternative or default method, especially if lethal injection becomes unavailable, with Tennessee actively using it and South Carolina making it the default if inmates choose, according to reports from 2024 and 2022.
Trump: Iran has ‘no plan for executions’ as US urges personnel to leave ME base
Which states still hang people?
Currently, only New Hampshire has a law specifying hanging as an available secondary method of execution, now only applicable to one person, who was sentenced to capital punishment by the state prior to its repeal in 2019.
Why did Ruth Ellis get hanged?
In 1955, Ruth Ellis was hanged for killing her abusive partner. Her case became one of the catalysts for abolishing the death penalty in the UK, and 70 years later her family is seeking a posthumous pardon.
Why did Texas stop last meals?
Texas abolished special last meals for death row inmates in 2011 after inmate Lawrence Russell Brewer ordered a large, extravagant meal and then refused to eat any of it, which angered officials and the public, leading to the decision to serve only the standard prison meal instead. This change was pushed by Senator John Whitmire, who felt it was inappropriate to grant such privileges to convicted murderers, especially after Brewer's disrespectful act.
What is the average cost of a US execution?
Nationally, the death penalty costs taxpayers an average of $1 million than a life without parole sentence, making it the most expensive part of our criminal justice system on a per offender basis.
Can death row inmates have conjugal visits?
No, death row inmates generally do not get conjugal visits, as states with such programs (like California) specifically exclude them due to their condemned status, while federal prisons and most states don't offer them at all, viewing them as a privilege, not a right, and often restricting them to inmates in general population with good behavior. Courts have ruled there's no constitutional right to conjugal visits for condemned inmates, who typically face severe isolation.
What was Obama's death penalty?
On 17 January 2017, three days before leaving office after eight years in the White House, President Barack Obama commuted one military death sentence and one federal death sentence. The prisoner in each case will now serve life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Which country has no death penalty?
DENMARK abolished the death penalty for all crimes. LUXEMBOURG, NICARAGUA, and NORWAY abolished the death penalty for all crimes. BRAZIL, FIJI, and PERU abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes.
Was the guillotine painless?
The guillotine was designed for swift, supposedly painless death by severing the head, but whether it was truly painless is debated; while it caused rapid unconsciousness from blood loss, historical accounts and experiments suggest the severed head showed signs of sensation like twitching and redness, implying consciousness or pain perception might have lingered briefly after decapitation, making it quick but not necessarily instant or completely free of suffering.
What state kills the most death row inmates?
As of August 8, 2024, Texas has executed a total of 598 people since the reinstatement of capital punishment in the United States in 1976. Oklahoma had the second-highest number of executed inmates, with 125 executions carried out since 1976.
Has anyone ever survived the firing squad?
Yes, people have survived firing squad executions, most famously Wenceslao Moguel (Mexico, 1915), who was shot multiple times but survived due to poorly aimed shots and wounds that weren't immediately fatal, though surviving a firing squad is extremely rare and often involves botched attempts where the executioners miss vital organs or use blanks. While most firing squads aim for a quick kill, instances of survivors exist, often becoming legendary or historical footnotes.
Is it cheaper to execute or to house for life?
Studies consistently find that the death penalty is more expensive than alternative punishments.
Who was the last person executed by electric chair in Texas?
The State of Texas executed the last inmate, Joseph Johnson (Harris County), by electrocution on July 30, 1964.
What was the weirdest meal request on death row?
Weirdest death row last meals often involve excessive quantities, bizarre combinations, or symbolic requests, like Lawrence Brewer's huge, uneaten meal that ended the tradition in Texas, Thomas Grasso's complaint about getting spaghetti instead of SpaghettiOs, Peter Miniel's buffet of tacos, burgers, and cakes, John Wayne Gacy's KFC bucket and shrimp, or Victor Fuger's single olive with the pit to sprout a tree. Inmates use these requests for one last indulgence, protest, or to make a statement.
What was Princess Diana's last meal?
Princess Diana's last meal, eaten at the Ritz Paris on August 31, 1997, consisted of Dover sole, vegetable tempura, and a mushroom and asparagus omelet, ordered from the L'Espadon restaurant and delivered to her suite for privacy. This simple, vegetable-focused meal, reflecting her known preferences for lighter fare, was consumed shortly before she departed for her fatal car crash with Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul.
Can you get alcohol for your last meal on death row?
First there's no federal law guaranteeing a last meal. It's all based on state by state policy and there are ton of limitations to what you can actually ask for. Alcohol and tobacco are on the no-no list. And most states put a cap on cost like in Florida it's forty dollars and in Oklahoma it's only twenty-five.
What is the shortest time on death row?
The shortest time on death row in modern U.S. history is often cited as Joe Gonzales in Texas, who was executed in 1996 after 252 days (about 8 months), having waived appeals to speed up the process. In a notable historical case, Gary Gilmore was executed in Utah just over three months after sentencing in 1977, marking a very swift execution post-resumption of capital punishment.
Who supplied the gun to Ruth Ellis?
According to Pachter's work, there was at least a possibility, if not more, that Ellis was accompanied on her mission to murder Blakely by another lover/protector of hers, a Desmond Cussen. He, circumstantial evidence suggested, may well have supplied her with the gun.
What happened to Ruth Ellis' children after she was hanged?
Ellis's son Andy, who was aged 10 at the time of his mother's execution, took his own life, in a bedsit in 1982, shortly after desecrating her grave. The trial judge, Sir Cecil Havers, had sent money every year for Andy's upkeep, and Christmas Humphreys, the prosecution counsel at Ellis's trial, paid for his funeral.