The US is one of only a handful of countries that still carries out the death penalty on criminals. The US Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, so for many years, the preferred method of executing people in this country has been a lethal injection, delivered in the form of a cocktail of drugs. But the past decade has seen a series of high-profile botched executions due to new experimental compounds. Coupled with a supply shortage of reliable execution drugs, anti-death penalty advocates are calling for an immediate halt to the practice. Follow here for the latest news in the intensifying national debate over the morality of lethal injections and the lives of violent criminals.
Jun 29, 2015, 2:09 PM UTCArielle Duhaime-Ross and Kwame Opam
Supreme Court rules states can use controversial drug in executions
Dec 22, 2014, 11:41 PM UTCAdi Robertson
Arizona to change lethal injection drugs after botched execution
Jul 24, 2014, 12:29 AM UTCNathan Ingraham
Botched lethal injection takes nearly two hours to kill Arizona inmate
May 8, 2014, 8:13 PM UTCJosh Lowensohn
Oklahoma delays man's execution by six months after botched effort on fellow inmate
Apr 2, 2014, 7:13 PM UTCMatt Stroud
One of two Texas executions back on following legal scuffle over lethal drug formula
Mar 26, 2014, 6:04 PM UTCJacob Kastrenakes
Oklahoma judge rules death row inmates can find out where execution drugs come from
Feb 6, 2014, 10:17 AM UTCRich McCormick
Death row prisoners may be forced into electric chair if Virginia bill passes
Jan 17, 2014, 7:17 AM UTCRich McCormick
Untested lethal injection drug takes more than 20 minutes to kill Ohio death row inmate
Dec 19, 2013, 11:48 AM UTCAmar Toor
US executions decline amid European restrictions on death penalty drugs
Number of executions in 2013 dropped to below 40 for the second time in nearly two decades, according to new report
Oct 29, 2013, 7:57 PM UTCKatie Drummond
Ohio will use an untested cocktail of drugs for upcoming execution
Oct 11, 2013, 6:39 PM UTCKatie Drummond
Missouri governor halts execution over concerns about new drug for lethal injections
Oct 11, 2013, 4:11 PM UTCMatt Stroud
As drug companies back away from death row, who will fill the gap?
Texas and other states fight to get their fix
