Death Penalty Abolition and Restorative Justice
While the death penalty is intended to punish criminals and deter others from committing similar crimes, new research shows that it accomplishes neither. In fact, a growing number of studies show that both murder and violent crime rates tend to rise in the years following an execution. Death penalty trials are long, contentious and expensive. It is estimated that the average cost of carrying out one execution exceeds $3 million dollars and often takes 3-7 years. The expense of prosecuting and executing a single person far outweighs spending on programs such as mental health care or drug addiction treatment which would be more effective at reducing murder rates than a death sentence.
To better equip your congregation or organization with death penalty information, strategies and action steps, please consider the following resources:
