I'm totally against the death penalty, and even more so having spent a significant portion of my life in the criminal justice system. But, statistics relating to how many innocent people have been executed is simply not available, unless we extrapolate probable statistics from general exonerations.
One thing that has been very helpful is the sheer amount of time it often takes to solidify a conviction in the justice system. It can take close to 20 years to finalize death penalty appeals, often giving enough time for science, law and public opinion to change sufficiently to free those who are innocent.
(And please do not forget those who are guilty but who were not given their due process - they might be monsters, but if we allow them to be railroaded then we do a disservice to any of us who might find ourselves swallowed into the machine in the future).
One thing that has been very helpful is the sheer amount of time it often takes to solidify a conviction in the justice system. It can take close to 20 years to finalize death penalty appeals, often giving enough time for science, law and public opinion to change sufficiently to free those who are innocent.
(And please do not forget those who are guilty but who were not given their due process - they might be monsters, but if we allow them to be railroaded then we do a disservice to any of us who might find ourselves swallowed into the machine in the future).