EJI - Equal Justice Initiative
11/11/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 11/11/2025 07:39
New Report Details Overrepresentation of Military Veterans on Death Row
The Death Penalty Information Center has released new data and analysis about the treatment of military veterans accused of capital crimes. Forgotten Service, Lasting Wounds: Military Veterans and the Death Penalty reveals that about 200 military veterans are currently sentenced to death nationwide and that one of every seven people executed in the modern death penalty era was a veteran.
"Our research shows that the military service of capital defendants is often minimized or forgotten, even when the experience has been life altering," Robin M. Maher, Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center said in a statement. "Veterans' untreated physical and psychological wounds can result in serious addiction and behavior problems that juries should meaningfully understand before making life-or-death sentencing decisions. Unfortunately, that does not happen in too many death penalty cases."
Indeed, researchers found that many of the 226 military veterans executed since 1972 were put to death without a jury ever hearing meaningful information about their service-even though the Supreme Court has recognized that military service can provide powerful evidence against imposing the death penalty.
Related Report
Targeting Black Veterans
Black veterans have been disproportionately targeted for racial violence and unequal treatment under the law.
Seven veterans have been executed so far this year, including Jeffrey Hutchinson, who suffered from the physical and psychological hazards of military service, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injury, and neurotoxin exposure, according to the report.
Researchers found that 40% of veterans sentenced to death had experienced addiction, compared to 11% of all veterans and 12% of the general public.
Veterans are overrepresented among people sentenced to death across the country-the data shows they make up about 10% of people facing execution while only 6% of the general public are veterans.
Of the 200 veterans currently sentenced to death, 66% served in active combat in Vietnam, according to the report.
Three more veterans are scheduled for execution before the end of the year.
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