Our two-year campaign resulted in 15 lives saved from execution
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 North Carolina’s racist and unjust death sentences to prison terms before he left office in 2024. Our campaign was 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.
Gov. Cooper heard our call. On the last day of his term, he commuted 15 death sentences to prison terms. His action was far smaller than we asked for, but it was still a historic step by a North Carolina governor to address injustice in the death penalty. The men granted clemency included people affected by racism in their trials, people who were sentenced under outdated laws, and those who committed crimes at very young ages, among other inequities. However, many more were left behind on North Carolina’s death row, and much work remains for our coalition. Stay tuned for new initiatives in 2025!
Get Involved
Our commutation campaign has ended, but we need your support and involvement as much as ever. Join our email list and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with everything we’re planning for 2025 and beyond.
