DPIC is pleased to announce the completion of our State Information Pagesfor all 50 states and the District of Columbia. These state profiles provide historical and current information on the death penalty for each state, including famous cases, past legislative actions, and links to key organizations and state officials. For frequently updated information, such as execution totals, the size of death row, or the number of exonerations, see our State-by-State Database. Readers are encouraged to send additional information, pictures, and links to organizations in their state. You can reach the State Information Pages through the "State by State" button at the top of every page on our website or under the "Resources" tab in our main menu.
In a clear national trend, seven states (Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, and South Carolina) have used pentobarbital instead of sodium thiopental in their executions in 2011. The most recent such execution was that of Donald BeatyinArizona on May 25, following a temporary stay as the state made a sudden switch to the new drug. Ohio is the only one of the seven states to use pentobarbital as the sole drug in its lethal-injection process. At least five states (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and South Carolina) that acquired sodium thiopental through an overseas source have had the drug seized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In addition, Arizona was instructed by the DEA not to use its foreign sodium thiopental just prior to the May 25 execution. Arkansas and California also have supplies of sodium thiopental originally obtained from a supplier in Great Britain. In Nebraska, questions about its supply of sodium thiopental--obtained from a company in India--has postponed the execution of Carey Dean Moore. South Dakota's sodium thiopental was also reportedly obtained from India. Other states like Georgia, Louisiana, and Virginia have indicated they intend to switch to pentobarbital in future executions.
When the sole U.S. supplier of a drug used by all death penalty states announced it was halting production earlier this year, many states turned to sources overseas. In particular, Nebraska obtained a large quantity of the drug--sodium thiopental--from a company in Mumbai, India. Now that company has announced it will no longer supply the drug for use in lethal injections. In a statement released to the media, Kayem Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd. said, "In view of the sensitivity involved with sale of our thiopental sodium to various jails/prisons in USA and as alleged to be used for the purpose of lethal injection, we voluntary declare that we as Indian Pharma Dealer who cherish the Ethos of Hinduism (A believer even in non-livings as the creation of God) refrain ourselves in selling this drug where the purpose is purely for Lethal Injection and its misuse." Earlier this year, the sole U.S. manufacturer of the same drug, Hospira Inc., similarly announced that it wanted no part in supplying drugs for executions. Nebraska death row inmate Carey Moore is challenging the legality of the state’s purchase of the drug. According to a motion filed with the Nebraska Supreme Court, there is no evidence that Kayem Pharmaceutical is registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) or is authorized to deliver drugs to the U.S. There is also evidence that Nebraska received a generic form of the drug, contrary to the state's execution protocol.
A bill that would repeal the death penalty in South Dakota was scheduled for a hearing in the House State Affairs Committee on February 10. The bill, HB 1245, would mandate life imprisonment without parole for people convicted of Class A felonies. South Dakota has only executed one person in the last 50 years, and currently has 3 people on death row. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Gerald Lange (D-Madison), and strongly supported by the Association of Christian Churches of South Dakota. Gene Miller, Executive Director of the Association, said, "We don't have to go that far back in our history to find, for example, segregation laws. That made that legal, but it was never moral. Our position on this would probably be similar to that: You can make it legal, but that doesn't necessarily make it right." (South Dakota is one of several states considering legislative action regarding the death penalty this year. See DPIC's Recent Legislative Activity page.)
DPIC is pleased to announce the completion of our 
A bill that would repeal the death penalty in South Dakota was scheduled for a hearing in the House State Affairs Committee on February 10. The bill, HB 1245, would mandate life imprisonment without parole for people convicted of Class A felonies. South Dakota has only executed one person in the last 50 years, and currently has 3 people on death row. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Gerald Lange (D-Madison), and strongly supported by the Association of Christian Churches of South Dakota. Gene Miller, Executive Director of the Association, said, "We don't have to go that far back in our history to find, for example, segregation laws. That made that legal, but it was never moral. Our position on this would probably be similar to that: You can make it legal, but that doesn't necessarily make it right." (South Dakota is one of several states considering legislative action regarding the death penalty this year. See DPIC's 