throughout the world; 88% of them took place in China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United States. More than 20,000 prisoners are currently on death row around the world. More than three countries a year on average have abolished the death penalty since 1976 or have gone from abolishing it for ordinary crimes to abolishing it for all crimes. Of the countries that still permit the death penalty, only five use lethal injection, the most common method of execution in the United States. 73 countries use firing squads, 58 hang condemned criminals, six stone them, and three still use beheading. The United States executed 52 men in 11 states during 2009 and 106 people were sentenced to death during the same year. There was good news here in Ohio in September: Kevin Keith was granted Executive Clemency by Governor Strickland after theSupreme Court refused to hear his appeal. There is still one more execution planned in Ohio this year: Sidney Cornwell onNovember 16. There are also two scheduled for early2011: Frank Spisak on February 17 and Johnnie Baston onMarch 10. Please keep these men in your prayers and visit www.otse.org to learn more about the death penalty status in Ohio. Ohio to Stop Executions (OTSE) is promoting a moratoriumon the death penalty in Ohio. As Catholics, we believe that all people are made in the image and likeness of God and,therefore, all persons are sacred. Belief in the sanctity of human life and the inherent dignity of each person is the foundation of our social teachings.
BLOG NOTE: Ohio set a record for lethal injections Wednesday with the execution of Michael Benge–the eighth of 2010.
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