Wiktor Wise
The electric chair was invented in the late 1880s as a supposedly more humane alternative to hanging. It was first used in 1890 to execute a man in New York State. Lethal injection is the primary method of execution in the US, but many states authorize other methods, including electrocution. The electric chair is the primary means of execution in South Carolina, and it is an alternative method of execution in eight other states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| States where the electric chair is the primary means of execution | South Carolina |
| States where the electric chair is an alternative method of execution | Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee |
| States where the death penalty has been abolished | California, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia |
| States with death penalty measures on the books | 27 states, including Florida and Tennessee |
| Most common methods of execution | Lethal injection, electrocution, firing squad, gas chamber, hanging |
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What You'll Learn
- Lethal injection is the primary method of execution in the US
- Electrocution is an alternative method of execution in eight states
- The gas chamber is an alternative method of execution in seven states
- Hanging was allowed as an alternative method of execution in one state
- The firing squad is an alternative method of execution in four states
Lethal injection is the primary method of execution in the US
The electric chair was invented by employees of Thomas Edison in the late 1880s, with the first execution by electric chair taking place in 1890. The electric chair was initially considered a more humane alternative to hanging, which was the primary means of execution in the US at the time.
Today, the electric chair is an alternative method of execution in eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In some states, the electric chair may be used if lethal injection is found to be unconstitutional or unavailable. For example, in Florida and Tennessee, lethal injection and electrocution are both authorized, but if those methods are found to be unconstitutional, prisoners may be executed by any constitutional method of execution.
The use of the electric chair as a method of execution has been controversial. The process involves attaching metal conductors to the condemned person's head and feet and delivering a jolt of electricity lasting about 30 seconds. The prisoner's body may exhibit violent movement during the process, which can result in dislocation or fractures.
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Electrocution is an alternative method of execution in eight states
Electrocution is an alternative method of execution in eight US states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee. In these states, prisoners can choose to die by electric chair over lethal injection, which is the primary method of execution in the US.
The electric chair was invented by employees of Thomas Edison in the late 1880s, with the intention of providing a quicker and less painful method of execution than hanging. Edison himself wanted to see capital punishment abolished in the US. The first execution by electric chair was carried out in 1890, ending the life of William Kemmler, a street pedlar who had murdered the woman he lived with.
The process of execution by electrocution involves attaching electrodes to the prisoner's head and leg, blindfolding them, and then sending a jolt of between 500 and 2000 volts of electricity through their body. This process is repeated until the prisoner is dead.
While lethal injection remains the primary method of execution across the US, other methods such as electrocution, lethal gas, and firing squad are also authorized by many states.
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The gas chamber is an alternative method of execution in seven states
Lethal injection is the primary method of execution in the United States, but many states authorize other methods, including electrocution, lethal gas, and firing squads. The gas chamber is an alternative method of execution in seven states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.
In 1924, Nevada introduced the use of cyanide gas as a more humane way of executing its prisoners. Gee Jon was the first person executed by lethal gas. The state initially tried to pump cyanide gas into Jon's cell while he slept, but the gas leaked, so a gas chamber was constructed. Today, several states authorize lethal gas as a method of execution, but all have lethal injection as an alternative method.
For execution by lethal gas, the condemned person is strapped to a chair in an airtight chamber. Below the chair rests a pail of sulfuric acid. A long stethoscope is typically affixed to the prisoner so that a doctor outside the chamber can pronounce death. The gas chamber has been considered cruel and unusual punishment by some, and by the 1980s, reports of suffering during gas chamber executions had led to controversy over the use of this method. At the September 2, 1983, execution of Jimmy Lee Gray in Mississippi, officials cleared the viewing room after eight minutes while Gray was still alive and gasping for air.
In recent years, several states have introduced or considered introducing nitrogen gas as an alternative method of execution. In April 2015, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin approved a bill allowing nitrogen asphyxiation as an execution method. In 2018, Alabama legislators authorized the use of nitrogen gas in executions, and officials began working on an execution protocol. In 2024, Alabama executed Kenneth Eugene Smith using the experimental method of nitrogen hypoxia. Smith inhaled the nitrogen gas through a mask, and witnesses reported that he initially shook and writhed. In January 2024, Louisiana passed similar legislation authorizing the use of nitrogen gas as a method of execution.
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Hanging was allowed as an alternative method of execution in one state
Lethal injection is the primary method of execution in the United States, but some states authorize other methods, including electrocution, hanging, lethal gas, and firing squad.
The history of hanging in the United States dates back to before the nation's founding. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln authorized the hanging of 39 Sioux Indians convicted of murdering white settlers in Mankato, Minnesota. This mass execution remains the largest of its kind in the country's history. Hanging continued to be the most popular means of execution as the country expanded westward, with judges known for their strictness becoming known as "hanging judges."
In 1890, New York became the first state to use the electric chair as a means of execution, and it quickly replaced hanging as the most efficient and preferred method of execution in the United States. The introduction of the gas chamber in 1924 further reduced the number of hangings. Rainey Bethea, convicted of rape, was hanged in 1936, and the last person executed by hanging in the United States was Billy Bailey in Delaware in 1996.
While lethal injection is the primary method of execution in most states, electrocution remains the primary method in South Carolina and is an alternative method in eight other states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Virginia.
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The firing squad is an alternative method of execution in four states
The electric chair was invented in the late 1870s to early 1880s as a more humane replacement for hanging. However, lethal injection has become the primary method of execution in the United States, with the electric chair now being the primary means of execution only in South Carolina, and an alternative method in eight other states.
While the use of the electric chair has decreased, another method of execution, the firing squad, is regaining popularity in some states. The firing squad is an alternative method of execution in four states: Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah. In March 2025, Idaho became the first state to designate the firing squad as the primary execution method.
The resurgence of the firing squad as a method of execution can be attributed to the reluctance of pharmaceutical companies to provide drugs for lethal injections, leading to a shortage of these drugs. Idaho, in particular, struggled for years to obtain pentobarbital, the drug needed for lethal injections. The state's first attempt at lethal injection in 12 years failed when executioners were unable to set an IV line on the inmate.
The firing squad has a long history as a method of capital punishment, especially in the military and during wartime. Firearms are usually readily available, and a gunshot to a vital organ like the heart or brain typically results in a quick death. The condemned person is typically blindfolded or hooded and restrained, and the shooters are instructed to aim at the heart to avoid disfigurement from multiple shots to the head.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the electric chair is the primary means of execution in South Carolina. It is also an alternative method of execution in eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Lethal injection is the primary method of execution in all states where it is legal except South Carolina. Other methods of execution include lethal gas, firing squad, and hanging.
An additional electrode moistened with conductive jelly is attached to the prisoner's leg, and the prisoner is blindfolded. After the execution team withdraws to the observation room, the executioner pulls a handle to connect the power supply. A jolt of between 500 and 2000 volts, lasting for about 30 seconds, is given. The current is then turned off, and doctors wait for the body to cool down before checking for a heartbeat. If the prisoner's heart is still beating, another jolt is applied.
Yes, in some states, inmates can choose their method of execution. For example, in South Carolina, state law requires that a prisoner "elect" their method. Robert C. Gleason Jr., a Virginia death row inmate, chose the electric chair over lethal injection.
