Does Rhode Island have the death penalty?
Fully abolished
Rhode Island abolished the death penalty in 1984.
Rhode Island is classified “Fully abolished” for the death penalty, as are 23 of the other 49 states and the District of Columbia. For the United States as a whole, the classification is “Retained / in use”.
Source
- Last checked
- 17 September 2026
- How it was classified
- Read from the source’s state-by-state coverage; the topic is published only once hand-verified reference states match it.
Across the United States
- Retained / in use 16 states.
- Not used in practice 11 states.
- Fully abolished 23 states and the District of Columbia, including Rhode Island.
Nearby states
- Massachusetts
- Fully abolished Massachusetts abolished the death penalty in 1984.
- Connecticut
- Fully abolished Connecticut abolished the death penalty in 2012.
- New Hampshire
- Fully abolished New Hampshire abolished the death penalty in 2019.
- Vermont
- Fully abolished Vermont abolished the death penalty in 1964.
- New York
- Fully abolished New York abolished the death penalty in 2004.
- New Jersey
- Fully abolished New Jersey abolished the death penalty in 2007.
Other laws in Rhode Island
- Abortion
- Legal on request
- Euthanasia
- Illegal
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal
- Age of Consent
- 16–17
- Sex Work
- Illegal
- Gun Laws
- Highly restrictive / banned
- Cannabis
- Legal
The death penalty in the United States → · Which countries have the death penalty? →
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.