Ohio Death Penalty Costs Remain High Despite Execution Pause

State Attorney General calls capital punishment system 'paralyzed' as costs mount without any executions in nearly a decade.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 2:34am

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The 2025 Capital Crimes report from the Ohio Attorney General's office reveals that even though the state hasn't carried out an execution since 2018, the costs associated with the death penalty system have continued to burden taxpayers, with estimates of up to $345 million spent on the 113 inmates currently on death row. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has called for state lawmakers to address the 'dilemma' and make a decision on the future of capital punishment in the state.

Why it matters

The high costs of maintaining Ohio's death penalty system, despite the lack of any actual executions in nearly a decade, have raised questions about the practical and fiscal viability of capital punishment in the state. This report comes amid ongoing legal and political debates over the death penalty, with some legislators pushing for repeal or alternative execution methods like nitrogen hypoxia.

The details

According to the report, the state hasn't executed anyone since 2018, meaning the more than 100 people on death row are essentially serving life sentences. The Ohio Legislative Service Commission estimates that a capital punishment case costs $1 to $3 million more than if the state sought a life sentence. When applying those estimates to the current 113 inmates on Ohio's death row who are facing a combined 115 death sentences, that could mean up to $345 million in additional costs. Attorney General Yost has called the state's capital punishment system 'paralyzed' and said it's 'not producing anything, which is a miscarriage of justice'.

  • Ohio last carried out an execution in 2018.
  • The 2025 Capital Crimes report from the Ohio Attorney General's office was recently released.

The players

Dave Yost

The Ohio Attorney General who called the state's capital punishment system 'paralyzed' and said it's 'not producing anything, which is a miscarriage of justice'.

Mike DeWine

The Governor of Ohio who hasn't authorized an execution since taking office, citing ongoing problems including the willingness of pharmaceutical companies to provide the needed drugs for lethal injection.

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What they’re saying

“It's not producing anything, which is a miscarriage of justice. I think it's time for us to face the dilemma head-on, decide what is just and then pursue it.”

— Dave Yost, Ohio Attorney General

“Why go through all these protections if we're not going to carry out the sentence? The reason that it's wasted is because we're doing all this so that the worst of the worst do have their date with justice, and then that date never comes.”

— Dave Yost, Ohio Attorney General

What’s next

Lawmakers in Ohio will need to decide whether to pursue alternative execution methods, provide confidentiality to drug suppliers, or repeal the death penalty altogether. Several legislative efforts to address the issues with Ohio's capital punishment system have so far failed to gain traction.

The takeaway

Ohio's costly and 'paralyzed' death penalty system, which has not resulted in any executions in nearly a decade, highlights the growing challenges and debates around capital punishment in the state. Policymakers will have to grapple with the practical and fiscal realities of maintaining a death penalty that is no longer being carried out.