What does it take to abolish the death penalty?

 

Dear Friends of Witness to Innocence, You may know me and my story already. You may know that I was wrongfully convicted and sent to death row as a teenager and that it took 28 years for me to gain my freedom and a total of 39 years before I was finally exonerated.

But the story you may not know is how that turned me into an abolitionist, how I now work day in and day out to end the death penalty, and miraculously, how I am not at all alone on this journey.  You see, Witness to Innocence is an entire organization of people like me. Death row survivors. Abolitionists.

So, what does it take to abolish the death penalty? We have worked hard in every state that has abolished the death penalty in the past 17 years, and I can tell you it takes turning public opinion away from the death penaty. It takes changing hearts and opening people’s minds to the reality of how unjust and cruel the death penalty is.

When we testify before state legislatures, we tell them our stories. And when those legislators vote to abolish the death penalty, they tell us it was because they could not forget what happened to us. Most recently, we did this in Washington, New Hampshire and Virginia. Our Executive Director, Kirk Bloodsworth, was on death row in Maryland and when he got out, he made sure Maryland abolished the death penalty. By this time next year, I hope I can say that I helped to abolish the death penalty in my own state of Ohio. You may know that today is what’s called “Giving Tuesday.” After giving thanks last week for all of our blessings, today is a day to give to organizations that we believe in. Will you make a donation to Witness to Innocence? Will you help us change hearts and minds? Will you help us abolish the death penalty?  Until one fine tomorrow,  Kwame Ajamu Board Chair Witness to Innocence is the only national organization in the United States composed of and led by exonerated death row survivors and their family members. Our mission is to abolish the death penalty by empowering our members to become effective leaders in the abolition movement. We actively challenge political leaders and the public to grapple with the reality of a fatally flawed criminal justice system that sends innocent people to death row. We also seek ways to support death row survivors and their loved ones as they confront the challenges of life after exoneration. 1501 Cherry Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 215-519-4384 info@witnesstoinnocence.org www.witnesstoinnocence.org