Methods of Capital Punishment
Overview of Execution Techniques
Inthe 38 States and Federal Government that currently have death penaltystatutes, five different methods of execution are prescribed: lethal injection,electrocution, lethal gas, firing squad, and hanging. The vast majority ofjurisdictions provide for execution by lethal injection. Twenty jurisdictionsprovide for alternative methods of execution, contingent upon the choice of theinmate, the date of the execution or sentence, or the possibility of the methodbeing held unconstitutional. Nebraska, which provides forelectrocution as the sole method of execution, is the only State that does nothave lethal injection as a primary or optional method of execution. No Statesprovide for lethal gas, hanging, or firing…
