To begin, I hope you and your family remain safe and healthy, during these difficult days. Sadly, too many of us have already lost friends and family in this pandemic. If you have lost a loved one, please know that we stand with you and support you.

We’ve done a great deal of work together over the years. So I know you join me in being terribly disappointed that federal executions are once again under way.

While we continue to see progress at the state level, the federal front is more than troubling. These federal executions are part of a larger effort to move the country in the direction of heavy handed authoritarian rule and away from evolving civil and human rights norms.

As we study these federal executions and the rapidly changing and politically dangerous environment in which they are taking place, the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty is focused on identifying new opportunities to advance our mission using the lessons from today.

Even in these troubled times, I am heartened by the new and expanded voices of citizens calling for fundamental changes in our society. The citizen activist has long been our model for seeking change. So many of our fellow citizens are calling passionately for fairness and for change in our criminal justice system – shining a spotlight on the injustices plaguing communities across our country. It inspires hope and bolsters our courage.

NCADP has long understood that ending the death penalty is an essential part of building a more fair and just society.  The stark choice that we face as a nation between authoritarian anti-democratic governance and a fair and just democracy makes our joint efforts all the more urgent.

Your voice and the voice of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty has never been as important as it is today. We need the resources and tools to take advantage of this moment which is both a threat and an opportunity.

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