NPR

Use Of The Death Penalty In U.S. Near A 25-Year Low, Report Finds

Executions of death row inmates occurred in only eight states in 2017 as public support for capital punishment wanes, according to an annual report by the Death Penalty Information Center.

As public support for the death penalty wanes, the number of executions and projected death sentences in 2017 rose only slightly, remaining at nearly 25-year lows, according to the annual report released Thursday by the Death Penalty Information Center.

There were 23 executions this year the center says. Over the past 25 years, only last year's total, of 20, was lower.

Including three pending cases, 39 death sentences are expected to be handed down this year, according to the DPIC, which tracks data

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