Breaking News: Christa Pike is still alive after two doses of lethal injection drugs were administered by Tennessee officials. Her attorneys report that she is in critical condition and receiving life-saving care at a hospital.

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Botched Executions October 1, 2026 Tennessee Botches Another Execution Despite Earlier Warnings from Attorneys; Christa Pike Was Alive Hours After Attempt Began Christa Pike remained alive more than an hour after the state of Tennessee began its attempt to execute her on September 30, 2026. It was the latest in a series of troubled executions by the Tennessee Department of Corrections. At a press conference outside the prison, media witnesses sharing their observations were interrupted by emergency vehicles arriving to take Ms. Pike to a local hospital. As outlined in the new execution protocol,…
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Innocence Database Since 1973, at least 203 people wrongly convicted and sentenced to death in the U.S. have been exonerated.
Execution Database 1683 men and women have been executed in the United States since the 1970s
Death Penalty Census The Census currently lists more than 9969 sentences imposed between 1972 and January 1, 2026.

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12:01 The Death Penalty in Context

Emmjolee Mendoza Waters on the Work of the Catholic Mobilizing Network

In the September 2026 episode of 12:01: The Death Penalty in Context, DPI Managing Director Anne Holsinger speaks with Emmjolee Mendoza Waters, Director…

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Emmjolee Mendoza Waters on the Work of the Catholic Mobilizing Network

Featured Research & Reports

Youth September 22, 2026 New Death Sentences for Defendants Under Age 21 Have Virtually Vanished—Yet Three of Them Are Scheduled for Execution This Month Clemency September 8, 2026 Former Kansas Corrections Officials Call for Governor to Commute Death Sentences Racial Justice Reports August 27, 2026 Examining Georgia’s History of Racial Violence and Capital Punishment Clemency August 25, 2026 Florida’s Outlier Status: Thirteen of the Nation's Twenty-Three Executions in 2026, Even as Executions Elsewhere Decline Innocence August 5, 2026 Jermaine “Marlow” Wright, Former Delaware Death Row Prisoner, is 203rd Person Exonerated, 34 Years After His Wrongful Conviction Racial Justice Reports May 21, 2026 Examining South Carolina’s History of Racial Violence and Capital Punishment Year-End Reports December 15, 2025 The Death Penalty in 2025 In-Depth Reports November 10, 2025 Forgotten Service, Lasting Wounds: Military Veterans and the Death Penalty