RALEIGH -- As of now, 151 inmates are sitting on death row in North Carolina. In 2013, only one new person joined them, and no one has been executed in the Tar Heel state in seven years. That trend matches what's being seen nationally, according to a new report from the Death Penalty Information Center. Gretchen Engel with the Center for Death Penalty Litigation in Durham says the state and national figures are proof of public sentiment.

According to Engel, "That's the public talking. Jurors who are very aware of the seriousness of the crime. They've listened to the evidence but, at the end of the day, they say life without parole is sufficient."

Nationwide, there were 39 executions in 2013 - a 10% decrease since last year - and carried out in only nine states. This year, North Carolina lawmakers made an attempt to resume executions and end inquiries about racial bias in the legal system by overturning the Racial Justice Act.