Death Penalty

You Can’t Leapfrog the Law if You Want to Execute People in Its Name

Declaring that “justice has been delayed too long,” California state and county officials this week rushed into court to request execution dates for the first time in almost five years. To some, it might sound like the government is finally doing what it needs to do to get executions moving forward. But in reality, they are ignoring the law, setting up victims’ families for yet another painful disappointment, and causing even more delays.

Read full blog post by James Clark of the ACLU of Southern California 

Take Action! Tell the Governor and the Attorney General to follow the rules!

 

Cut This - The Death Penalty
At a time of fiscal crisis, cutting the death penalty and replacing it with the swift and certain punishment of permanent imprisonment is a smart way to save money that can better be spent elsewhere—on programs that will actually improve public safety.
Full story»

The Death Penalty is a Woman's Issue Too.
The anti-death penalty movement in California is expanding and gaining momentum. Our core base of activists—people concerned about the inequities of the criminal justice system and people of faith—are finding coalition with activists from other movements, movements whose core issue is not ending the death penalty. California Now—the largest state based feminist organization in the US—joined the fight against new execution regulations in California. Some might be surprised that a group focused on women’s issues would take a stand against the death penalty. But the death penalty is a woman’s issue too.
Full story»

Frequently Asked Questions About the Costs of California's Death Penalty
Many people are surprised to learn that it costs more to sentence someone to execution than permanent imprisonment, also known as life without parole. This page draws key findings from the ACLU-NC's report The Hidden Death Tax: The Secret Cost of Seeking Executions in California to answers some common questions about the costs of California's death penalty system.
Full story»

New Report - Death in Decline '09
As the United States moves away from death sentences to permanent imprisonment, California—particularly Los Angeles County—lags behind, according to a new report on the death penalty by the ACLU of Northern California.
Full story»