We need less capital punishment, but not why you might think

More criminals may deserve the death penalty than get it, but it is an impractical method of punishment we do not have to use anymore.

Alabama is executing a death-row inmate on Thursday with a new method using nitrogen hypoxia gas, a vapor meant to suffocate the inmate. The state tried and failed to execute Kenneth Smith in 2022 on his originally scheduled execution date. This new procedure has been criticized by some as “experimental,” by Smith as cruel and unusual punishment, and by the United Nations as a violation of international law.