Lethal injection remains the most common method of execution in the United States. Because the method relies on drugs that were never intended to be used to kill, lethal injections are often “botched”, resulting in lengthy, painful, and often high-profile executions.
A 2024 report by Reprieve – “Lethal injection in the modern era: cruel, unusual, and racist” – analyzes data on botched lethal injection executions since 1977. One of the most significant findings to emerge was that Black people had 220% higher odds of suffering a botched execution than white people, indicating that racial disparities in capital punishment extend all the way to the execution chamber.
The report was welcomed by members of Congress, including Senator Booker, Senator Warren and Congresswoman Pressley, and covered extensively in the national and healthcare press.
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Open the reportThe Lethal Injection Information Center provides free and confidential advice to companies seeking to protect their products from misuse in executions.