America’s Debate on Death Penalty

Insight

Despite major issues with the drugs used in carrying out the death penalty, executions continue in United States.

This year in the U.S., there have been 20 executions so far. The average time from sentence to execution is just under 19 years. Most of them are carried out in the U.S. state of Texas.

Around the world, executions are continuing as well. According to Amnesty International, most of the world’s executions last year happened in China. Exact figures are not available. Iraq had one of the highest increases in executions– up 30 percent from 2012. And the United States remains the only country in the Americas with an active death penalty system.

But this issue is not just about statistics and chemistry. At its core, this is a life or death debate– with a significant impact on real lives. CCTV’s Daniel Ryntjes reports.

Follow Daniel Ryntjes on Twitter: @danielryntjes

Inside Emotional Issue of Death Penalty

This year in the U.S., there have been 20 executions so far. The average time from sentence to execution is just under 19 years. Most of them are carried out in the U.S. state of Texas.But this issue is not just about statistics and chemistry. At its core, this is a life or death debate-- with a significant impact on real lives. CCTV's Daniel Ryntjes reports.