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
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.
Join Our Campaign
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.