States that abolished the death penalty
The death penalty is prohibited in 23 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
States that do not have the death penalty include: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as the District of Columbia.
Virginia legislatively abolished the death penalty in 2021 and Colorado did the same in 2020.
Three states – California, Oregon and Pennsylvania – have imposed moratoria, or temporary suspensions, on executions.
