We have a clear request for Gov. Cooper: Commute all of NC’s death sentences to prison terms & lead our state to a new vision of justice
Read the report: The Case for Commuting NC’s Death Row
North Carolinians have been working for decades to abolish the death penalty. However, in 2022, our work took on a new urgency as we began a campaign to compel Gov. Cooper to commute all of North Carolina’s death sentences to prison terms before he leaves office in 2024. The governor has broad power to address injustices in the criminal punishment system, and the death penalty is clearly unjust, racist, and error-prone. Our state currently has the fifth largest death row in the nation with more than 136 people, most of whom were sentenced more than 25 years ago under vastly different laws and public standards. This action by the governor would help ensure that no more cruel and inhumane executions are carried out in North Carolina.
Our campaign is led by a diverse working group representing organizations across North Carolina, along with people directly impacted by the death penalty, including death row exonerees and people who have lost family members to murder. Read our letter to Gov. Cooper or this short, informative report laying out the reasons why the governor must commute.
Join Our Campaign
Join us for our Walk for Commutation: 136 miles for 136 lives! The NCCADP team will walk from Winston-Salem leaving on September 26th to Raleigh arriving on October 10th, which is World Day Against the Death Penalty. Our route will begin and end in the two counties, Forsyth and Wake, where more people are sentenced to death than anywhere else in NC. We would love for you to walk (roll, bike, or drive) along the way with us, and join us for community programs and gatherings in the evenings. You can learn all the details about this exciting and ambitious series of events, including evening program details and our route, here. Please fill out this interest form to let us know how you’d like to be involved!
Want to tell Governor Cooper why you believe he should commute all NC death sentences? Write Governor Cooper a postcard or letter either on your own or using our postcard kit that comes with blank cards that you can distribute in your community and a fact sheet to help you explain why you believe Governor Cooper should exercise his clemency powers. Find out more information here!
Are you a person who has lost a loved one to homicide? If you live in North Carolina, or if the crime happened in North Carolina, please click here to add your name to a letter to Gov. Cooper from surviving family members.
Do you care about ending NC’s death penalty? Join our email list and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with everything we’re planning.
