Death Row

Death Row Facts and Figures

• On June 30, 2011, there were 399 inmates on Florida's death row.
  • No death row inmates were executed in FY1011.
• Florida administers execution by electric chair or lethal injection. Lethal injection became an option for death row inmates in FY9900.
• A death row cell is 6 x 9 x 9.5 feet high.
• Death row inmates can be distinguished from other inmates by their orange T-shirts.
• The state of Florida was given the authority to execute inmates by the 1923 Legislature.
• The U.S. Supreme Court declared capital punishment unconstitutional in 1972 in Furman vs. Georgia. In 1976 the Furman decision was overturned, upholding the constitutionality of the death penalty, which was resumed in Florida in 1979 with the execution of John Spenkelink.
• Male inmates under sentence of death are housed at Union Correctional Institution (CI) or Florida State Prison. Female death row inmates reside at Lowell CI.
  

Statistics on Executed inmates in Florida*

• *Refers to inmates executed after the death penalty was reinstated in Florida, beginning with John Spenkelink's execution in May 1979.
• 12.7 years is the average length of stay on Death Row prior to execution.
• 14.3 years is the average number of years between offense and execution.
• 43.0 years is the average age at time of execution.
• 28.7 years is the average age at offense for executed inmates.

Executions each year since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976
1979	1	1992	2	2003	3
1980-82	0	1993	3	2004	2
1983	1	1994	1	2005	1
1984	8	1995	3	2006	4
1985	3	1996	2	2007	0
1986	3	1997	1	2008	2
1987	1	1998	4	2009	2
1988	2	1999	1	2010	1
1989	2	2000	6	2011 (as of 6/30/11)	0
1990	4	2001	1
1991	2	2002	3
Total = 69