Utah

Since 1850, a total of at least 50 persons have been executed in Utah. A total of 9 people are currently on death row. The current method of execution is lethal injection.

Following the Furman US Supreme Court decision of 1972, Utah reinstituted the death penalty under a new statute in 1973. Utah was the first state to resume executions when Gary Gilmore was executed by a firing squad in 1977, though Gilmore volunteered to be executed. Since then, there have been six additional executions. Utah is the only state to have executed inmates by firing squad in the modern era, and it still remains an option for death row inmates convicted before 2004, when the firing squad was abolished.

Clemency rests with the State of Utah Board of Pardons and Parole. The governor of Utah sits on the board, which makes Utah one of a handful states where the governor has no sole power to grant clemency. To date, there have been no commutations of a death sentence given in Utah.

For more information and ways to get involved, contact your state's organizations:

Diocese of Salt Lake City

The Diocese of Salt Lake City covers the entire state of Utah. It is presently presided over by Bishop Oscar Solis.

Utahans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Utahans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (UTADP) is a statewide coalition of both secular and religious organizations and concerned individuals dedicated to stopping executions in Utah.

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