| November 11, 2010
ISSUE: Death Penalty Abolition
Many League members received calls from the LWVIL office this week asking them to write or call their state representative as soon as possible to urge her or him to vote YES to repeal the death penalty in Illinois during the Fall Legislative Veto Session which begins next week in Springfield.
In 2001, the LWVIL adopted a position to support the abolition of the death penalty. Now there is an opportunity to pass legislation to support this position, but the League needs your help.
TAKE ACTION
Here is what you can do:
- Attend one of two lobby days in Springfield, November 16 and November 29. The rally begins at the Lincoln Statue at 10am, then everyone will meet at the Howlett Building Hall of Flags. The Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (ICADP) is providing buses which leave at 6:00am from Chicago and Glen Ellyn. Please contact Liz Moran to reserve your seat on the bus (Early Registration: $15; Same Day Registration: $20, Group Rate (5 or more): $10/person)
- Call or write your representative today. You can find your representative at: http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx
(Click on the state representative’s name to find contact information) or you can go to http://www.ilga.gov/house/
Note: despite recent election results, your representative does not officially change or start a new term until January 2011.
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear State Representative:
I am a constituent and I urge you to repeal the death penalty.
I am opposed to the death penalty because…. Reason One…. Reason Two (See Below).
Thank you for taking this common sense step toward a more just Illinois.
Sincerely,
Your Signature
Your Printed Name
Your Complete Address
LETTER WRITING TIPS
- Always mention you are a constituent – it’s their job to represent your views!
- These can be short, handwritten notes.
- Don’t forget to sign your name, print your name, and include your complete address.
- There are lots of reasons why Illinois will be better off without the death penalty – below are some ideas you could mention in your letter. Mention one or two that are important to you.
REASONS TO REPEAL THE DEATH PENALTY
The time for repeal is now. It has become clear in 10 years of a moratorium that the death penalty system is still broken and cannot be fixed. The death penalty risks executing the innocent, fails to meet the needs of murder victims’ families, and costs millions of dollars more than alternatives.
We Make Mistakes. There have been 20 men exonerated from Illinois’ death row after evidence of their innocence emerged. This is the second highest exoneration rate in the nation. It is clear we cannot guarantee that our death penalty system will not make a fatal mistake and take an innocent life.
Too Expensive. Since its creation in 1999, we’ve spent well over $100 million dollars on the Capital Litigation Trust Fund. We can’t afford to spend millions on the death penalty when other vital services are being cut.
Ignoring the Needs of Murder Victims’ Families. While victims’ services in Illinois are underfunded, which hurts all murder victims, we spend millions of dollars on a death penalty system that affects less than 1% of murders. Those victims’ families that have capital cases endure excessively long and publicized trials then are forced to wait for years and years for an execution – if one comes at all.
Doesn’t Stop Crime! In a 2009 national survey, police chiefs ranked the death penalty dead last in terms of effective tools to prevent violent crime. Study after study shows the death penalty does not deter crime. If we’re serious about stopping crime, we should invest in tools that work – the death penalty doesn’t.
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