"Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things."

In 1972, the United States Supreme Court struck down the death penalty laws of most states. Florida quickly enacted a new death penalty statute and the first execution under the new law occurred in 1979.

• In the past 30 years, Florida has executed an average of 2.6 persons per year.
• There are currently 391 death sentenced inmates awaiting execution in Florida.

At the current rate of execution, it would take over 151 years to execute everyone already on Florida's death row.

Why not simply speed up the execution process?

• Florida has never executed more than 11 persons in a single year. (1936 and 1942)

At the highest rate of execution, it would still take over 35 years to execute everyone already on Florida's death row. And more people are being added every year.

The uniqueness of Florida's death penalty law is the greatest impediment to speeding up the execution process.

• Florida is the only state in the country that does not require a unanimous jury finding at any stage of the sentencing proceedings.
• In 2005, all 7 justices of the Florida Supreme Court expressed "a need for legislative reassessment and revision of Florida's capital punishment statute."

Florida's Death Penalty System Is Inefficient