Capital punishment in the United States

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/capital-punishment-in-the-united-states

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the number of states with capital punishment?27 states, federal government, and American Samoa
2. What is the states with moratoriums on executions?6 states
3. How many states still have the death penalty?Twenty-seven states still have the death penalty, plus the federal government and American Samoa. That means more than half of the states can use it.
4. Why do some states not have anyone on death row even though the law exists?Oregon and Wyoming have no inmates on death row, and six other states have a moratorium that stops executions. So the law is on the books but not being used.

Capital Punishment: The legally authorized killing of someone as punishment for a crime.
Supreme Court: The highest court in the United States, which interprets laws and makes rulings on important legal cases.
Moratorium: A temporary suspension of activity, in this context, a pause on carrying out death sentences.
Exoneration: The act of officially clearing someone of blame or a criminal charge, often after new evidence proves their innocence.