Thousands of Reasons to End the Death Penalty

Hundreds of people traveled to Sacramento from all corners of the state on June 30 to offer impassioned and often intensely personal testimony about why they believe the time has come to end California’s death penalty system.  

The occasion was the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (CDCR) invitation to the public to comment on the lethal injection procedures used by the prison system to kill those who have been condemned to death.  

The ACLU-NC, Death Penalty Focus and other dedicated ally organizations spurred more than 7,000 individuals and dozens of professional, religious, and non-profit organizations to submit written comments to the CDCR prior to the hearings.   Governments and human rights organizations weighed in from places like France, Puerto Rico, Italy and Togo, the nation that most recently abolished the death penalty.

Much of the testimony was powerful and poignant, fueled by arguments as varied as the speakers.  Psychologists, former prison officials, family members of murder victims, people of faith, and people who have witnessed and assisted in executions - each read a heartfelt statement into the record, often to applause and occasionally to tears from the crowd in the hearing room.  

Many of the activist-speakers drew upon international concepts of human rights, calling for California to rid itself of the company of the world’s other top executioners - Saudi Arabia, Syria, China and Iran.  Others touched on the psychological toll on family members of both victims and of the condemned, who wait years and years in anxious expectation and who are often treated poorly by the justice system. 

Speakers representing churches, temples and synagogues around the state spoke against the practice of denying inmates access to a chosen spiritual advisor during the final moments leading to execution, a violation of religious freedom. 

Members of the media testified against CDCR regulations that severely restrict press access and also violate the First Amendment.   

Others expressed outrage at the failure of prison officials to disclose the total cost of executions, as is required by law.

Each speaker was given three minutes.  In six hours of testimony, only two people rose to speak in favor of lethal injection.

The CDCR is required to respond to each of the arguments presented during the public comment period.

Representatives from the CDCR were in the room but could not be identified  though observers could easily pick out the healthy entourage of plainclothes police officers  sent to observe the proceedings, and presumably to guard against angry outbursts or physical violence. None occurred.   

Executions in California have been suspended for the past three years, in part due to legal challenges by the ACLU and others who believe that the lethal injection procedure is unconstitutional and have demonstrated systemic problems with the state's past handling of executions.  Governor Schwarzenegger plans to resume executions, even though the death penalty system will cost us approximately $1 billion over the five years to come.