By the end of 1982, the number of inmates under sentence of death stood at 1,050, the largest ever recorded in the Nation. The number of persons sentenced to death in 1982 was 264, higher than in any other year except 1975. Departures from Death Row by means other than execution fell to 68, one of the smallest totals in recent history. The large number of persons on Death Row in 1982 reflected both an increase in the number of death sentences handed down over the years and lengthened stays because of long appeals. Pertinent judicial decisions (such as Furman v. Georgia, Eddings v. Oklahoma, and State v. Logan) are discussed in relation to capital punishment. Two tables, one graph, and eight recommended readings are supplied.