In states still employing the electric chair to execute people, the prisoner is allowed the choice of lethal injection as an alternative method.
Capital punishment , also known as the death penalty , is a government sanctioned practice whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime .. The sentence that someone be punished in such a manner is referred to as a death sentence , whereas the act of carrying out the sentence is known as an execution .. sentence. Sentence ( law ). Crimes that are punishable by death are known as capital crimes or capital offences , and they commonly include offences such as murder , treason , espionage , war crimes , crimes against humanity and genocide .. murder. murder. treason. treason. espionage. espionage. war crimes. war crimes. crimes against humanity. crimes against humanity. genocide. genocide. Etymologically , the term capital -LRB- lit .. `` of the head '' , derived via the Latin capitalis from caput , `` head '' -RRB- in this context alluded to execution by beheading .. Latin. Latin. Fifty-six countries retain capital punishment , 103 countries have completely abolished it de jure for all crimes , six have abolished it for ordinary crimes -LRB- while maintaining it for special circumstances such as war crimes -RRB- , and 30 are abolitionist in practice .. war crimes. war crimes. de jure. de jure. Capital punishment is a matter of active controversy in various countries and states , and positions can vary within a single political ideology or cultural region .. political ideology. political ideology. In the European Union , Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union prohibits the use of capital punishment .. European Union. European Union. Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Also , the Council of Europe , which has 47 member states , prohibits the use of the death penalty by its members .. Council of Europe. Council of Europe. The United Nations General Assembly has adopted , in 2007 , 2008 , 2010 , 2012 and 2014 , non-binding resolutions calling for a global moratorium on executions , with a view to eventual abolition .. United Nations General Assembly. United Nations General Assembly. global moratorium on executions. UN moratorium on the death penalty. Although most nations have abolished capital punishment , over 60 % of the world 's population live in countries where executions take place , such as China , India , the United States and Indonesia .. China. Capital punishment in China. India. Capital punishment in India. United States. Capital punishment in the United States. Indonesia. Capital punishment in Indonesia