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NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Committed to ending the death penalty and creating a new vision of justice

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Gallup Poll: The death penalty question they never ask

October 30, 2017

Last week’s Gallup poll showed us that Americans’ support for the death penalty continues to erode. Fifty-five percent said they are in favor of executing people, the lowest number in 45 years. That’s down from a high of 80 percent in the mid-1990s.

But a more accurate picture would have emerged if the poll had asked the question that truly gauges people’s views on the death penalty: Would you support replacing the death penalty with life in prison, if you were assured that those convicted would never be released? When that question is asked, a clear majority of Americans, in poll after poll, say they are ready to give up the execution chamber.

The question our society should be asking is not: Do you believe that people who commit murders should be punished? The answer to that is obvious. The question that gets to the heart of the matter is: What’s the fairest, most efficient, and most effective way to punish people who commit the worst crimes? When you ask it that way, the death penalty is clearly not the answer.

The death penalty costs far more than life without parole, takes decades to carry out, and carries with it the risk of executing an innocent person. And it does nothing more to protect us from crime than the harsh and irrevocable sentence of life in prison with no possibility of parole.

Recently, police chiefs and prison officials, even some N.C. prosecutors have acknowledged the waste and futility of continuing to pursue the death penalty. For more than a decade, North Carolina has remained among the vast majority of states who no longer execute people. Meanwhile, our state’s murder rate has gone down.

It’s time to stop clinging to a waning and outdated punishment.

Filed Under: Blog, National News, Public Opinion, Statistics

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3326 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.
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Durham, NC 27707
noel@nccadp.org
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Join us for the We Keep Us Alive event at Pullen M Join us for the We Keep Us Alive event at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church! You can find the entrance in the back of the church by the parking lot. #NoMoreDeathRow
Today's the day! You're invited to join us from 2- Today's the day! You're invited to join us from 2-6 PM at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh to mark 19 years since the last execution in North Carolina. We'll be diving deep into what abolition means for ourselves and our communities. 

With 6 incredible workshop options, art from death row, live music, the debut of Nick Courmon's poem "Inescapable," and a march to Central Prison for a vigil – we guarantee you won't want to miss this free event. 

Scroll through the post to take a look at the workshop line-up!

All are welcome. Register at bit.ly/WeKeepUsAlive or at the link in our bio.
Tomorrow, we hit the streets, and we need you. We Tomorrow, we hit the streets, and we need you.

We're marching to the gates of Central Prison to tell the state of North Carolina: NO more death row. NO more death penalty. It's time for it to go.

At the prison, we'll hold vigil for the 43 lives taken in the modern death penalty era and stand in solidarity with the 121 people who are currently living under the shadow of death row, most of whom are inside those prison walls right now.

📸 Photo descriptions:
1️⃣ Death row exonerees Edward Chapman and Henry McCollum, alongside spoken word artist Nick Courmon (who will debut his new poem "Inescapable" tomorrow).
2️⃣ Henry McCollum placing signs along the road with the names and years of life of all 43 people executed in NC’s modern death penalty era.
3️⃣ Members of our Family Survivor Engagement Group, leaders who fought for the commutation of 15 death sentences, bringing their lived experience to the front lines.
4️⃣ Edward Chapman holding a sign for Kenneth Boyd, someone he knew personally, executed by NC in 2005.

Hear from many of these folks and more tomorrow at We Keep Us Alive. RSVP at bit.ly/WeKeepUsAlive or at the link in our bio.

Here's the schedule for the day – join for any part you're able:

2:00 PM | Community gathering at Pullen
2:50 PM | Abolition-focused workshops at Pullen
4:35 PM | March to Central Prison from Pullen
5:00 PM | Vigil at Central Prison
5:40 PM | Closing and refreshments
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