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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It’s time to stop clinging to a waning and outdated punishment.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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NCCADP
3326 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.
Building D, Suite 201
Durham, NC 27707
noel@nccadp.org
919-404-7409

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Every dollar propping up the state's death program Every dollar propping up the state's death program is a dollar that can't be used for public goods and services. Studies across all 50 states have shown that funding public goods and services reduces rates of both property and violent crime.

On the other hand, studies have found no evidence that capital punishment reduces murder rates. Instead, the death penalty leaves grieving families, traumatized children, and broken communities in its wake.

#NoMoreDeathRow #EndTheDeathPenalty #19YearsWithout
When a state preserves the right to take a human's When a state preserves the right to take a human's life, every other form of state harm seems justifiable in comparison. In this context, the ongoing assault on human rights, civil rights, basic social supports, education, the environment... it all starts to make a little more sense. 

All forms of oppression are connected. It's time to end the death penalty. For good.

#EndTheDeathPenalty #NoMoreDeathRow #19YearsWithout
We need you! Every Monday, a small but mighty grou We need you! Every Monday, a small but mighty group gathers outside Central Prison in Raleigh to say: We will not look away. We will not be silent. We oppose the death penalty in North Carolina. 

Join the vigil, raise your voice, and be in solidarity with every person sentenced to death in our state.

🗓️ Every Monday, rain or shine
🕔 5–6 PM (March–November) | 4–5 PM (November–March)
📍 Central Prison, Raleigh

All are welcome. No RSVP required. Come as you are, bring a sign or borrow one, and make your voice heard.

NCCADP's coalition partners, Catholics for Abolition in NC and Amnesty International Local Group 213, have faithfully attended and led this vigil for years. Our team will be joining the vigil on Monday, July 28. We can't wait to see you there.
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