Jail411 archive report
Published February 16, 2026 · Updated March 6, 2026
The United States saw a dramatic surge in executions in 2025, with the total nearly doubling from the previous year. Florida led the nation, carrying out 19 death warrants — a pace not seen in the state since the 1990s. The increase has reignited national debate over capital punishment at a time when most Western democracies have abolished the practice.
Florida's Execution Spree
Florida's 19 executions in 2025 represented the state's most active year of capital punishment in decades. The surge followed a 2023 law that reduced the jury vote required for a death sentence from unanimity to 8-4, making it easier for prosecutors to secure death penalties.
Governor Ron DeSantis signed multiple death warrants throughout the year, describing the executions as delivering justice for victims' families. "These individuals committed unspeakable acts," DeSantis said. "Justice delayed is justice denied."
Critics, however, pointed to concerns about wrongful convictions, racial disparities in sentencing, and the high cost of the death penalty compared to life imprisonment.
National Trends
While Florida drove the national numbers, several other states also increased their use of capital punishment. Texas, historically the most active execution state, carried out its own series of executions. Meanwhile, states like Ohio and Pennsylvania maintained their moratoriums on the practice.
The national picture remains deeply divided. As of 2025, 27 states retain the death penalty, while 23 states plus the District of Columbia have abolished it or imposed moratoriums. The federal government also maintains the death penalty, though its use has been sporadic.
Cost and Controversy
Studies consistently show that death penalty cases cost significantly more than non-capital murder cases. The additional expenses come from longer trials, more extensive appeals, and the cost of maintaining death row facilities. In Florida, death row is located at Union Correctional Institution and Florida State Prison, both in the northern part of the state.
The debate extends beyond cost. Exoneration data shows that since 1973, more than 190 people have been released from death row after evidence of their innocence emerged. Florida has had the most death row exonerations of any state — a fact that abolition advocates cite frequently.
View all 416 correctional facilities in Florida, including the state's death row institutions, in our comprehensive directory.