Since 1999, four inmates have been granted clemency. The 84th person to be freed from death row in the U.S. because of innocence was Alfred Rivera, who was acquitted at his retrial in North Carolina.  A total of 8 such people have been released in the U.S. in 1999 alone.

Orange County, North Carolina, became the first county in the U.S. to call for a moratorium on the death penalty, citing the dangers of mistaken executions.  The towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and the City of Durham also passed moratorium resolutions in 1999.

In early 2002, a new law allowed life without parole as an alternative. Death sentences dropped by over 50% following the law.