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
SIGN A LETTER TO GOV. COOPER FROM PEOPLE OF FAITH
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 135 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
Save the date: Dec. 2 will be our next large public event. Stay tuned for details.
Are you part of a religious or spiritual community and/or do you consider yourself a person of faith who lives in North Carolina? In a state where nearly 80 percent of people identify with a faith tradition, including Governor Cooper, people of faith can be powerful voices for justice. We encourage you to sign and share this letter. We hope to have thousands of signatures by the time we deliver this letter to Gov. Cooper on August 19, 2023. We are pleased to collaborate with our Coalition partners at the NC Council of Churches in the launch of this letter.
Other ways to get involved:
Are you the leader of a North Carolina faith community or faith-based organization? Please sign this letter from faith leaders to Gov. Cooper. (Please do not sign this letter if you are laity or staff; please sign the People of Faith Letter referenced above.)
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.
