Why Are We So Bad at Executing People?

We are very bad at executing people. Depending on how you count, something like 7% of lethal injections in the US have been botched. This seemed very strange to me, so I dove into the numbers, looked at veterinary euthanasia, end-of-life care, and execution procedures, and what I found was that, almost certainly, the difference here is that a very high percentage of competent individuals refuse to engage in government executions.

I understand that, to many, killing a killer is a way of honoring life. I think that this has always been an ugly lie, but the fact that we cannot do it at all competently indicates to me that, as a society, we no longer actually believe it.

Sources:
37 states haven't executed anyone in the last 5 years: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/executions-overview/states-with-no-recent-executions

23 states have abolished the death penalty: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/executions-overview/states-with-no-recent-executions

In 1847, Michigan became the first English-speaking government to abolish capital punishment (except for treason) https://www.michbar.org/programs/milestone/milestones_firsttoabolish

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has suspended executions: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/tennessee-governor-calls-failed-christa-pike-execution-tragedy-2026-10-01/

Attempted execution of Krista Pike: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/tennessee-due-execute-woman-first-time-two-centuries-2026-09-30/

More background on pike: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/tennessee-governor-calls-failed-christa-pike-execution-tragedy-2026-10-01/

People sentenced to death have subsequently been exonerated: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/facts-and-research/data/innocence

Joe Arridy was posthumously pardoned in 201: https://files.deathpenaltyinfo.org/legacy/ArridyPardon.pdf

Lethal injection is the most common execution method in the US: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/methods-of-execution

Info on Tennessee's protocols: https://apnews.com/article/225a47554413611c4626702c32a2577d

On IV Failure modes: https://www.nhsfife.org/services/all-services/patient-advice/infiltration-and-extravasation/

Pentobarbital outside of a blood vessel: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/fda/fdaDrugXsl.cfm?setid=d375b92a-baa1-4d63-9ad1-1467dcfde7d5

We have accidentally used the wrong drugs: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/oklahoma-grand-jury-issues-report-detailing-blatant-violations-of-the-states-execution-protocol

Veterinary euthanasia can occasionally go weird: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=c885b1d9-db06-47fb-bdb0-4015e06ce08b

https://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/productinformationdatabase/files/UKPAR_Documents/UKPAR_356920.PDF

Execution drugs and protocols vary between states: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/methods-of-execution/state-by-state-execution-protocols

The AMA on executions: https://code-medical-ethics.ama-assn.org/ethics-opinions/capital-punishment

The American Board of Anesthesiology on executions: https://www.theaba.org/capital-punishment/

Dr. Mark Fowler was involved in a previous botched execution: https://www.wsmv.com/2026/08/14/doctor-botched-lethal-injection-says-he-will-now-oversee-execution-only-woman-tns-death-row-heres-what-we-know/

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/tennessee-botches-another-execution-despite-earlier-warnings-from-attorneys-christa-pike-was-alive-hours-after-attempt-began

Pfizer on providing lethal injection drugs: https://cdn.pfizer.com/pfizercom/2021-06/21-lethal-injection-policy-paper-final.pdf

Gallup’s 2025 poll - 52% of US adults supported the death penalty for murder (the lowest support since 1972): https://news.gallup.com/poll/697244/americans-prefer-tempered-crime-fighting-methods.aspx

7% of lethal-injection executions classified as botched: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/executions/botched-executions/

New death sentences remain far below their peak: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/facts-and-research/data/sentencing-data

Executions are also far below their peak: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/research/analysis/reports/year-end-reports/the-death-penalty-in-2025


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