December 15, 2010

Issue 4, Volume 1

Was this e-mail forwarded to you? Join our Mailing List

Dear Friend,

Merry Christmas! As we come to the close of 2010, we find ourselves reflecting on what CMN has accomplished. In the past year we’ve added a new staff member, attended over a dozen conferences, started a monthly e-newsletter, traveled to over 15 states, created educational materials now available on our website, developed strong relationships with state Catholic conferences, state anti-death penalty campaigns, and other national organizations, revamped our website, initiated communication with supporters through social media, and continued our efforts for the education of Catholics and to end the use of the death penalty.

As we look towards 2011, we hope to continue to expand and bring you useful resources like this newsletter, but we need your help to do so. We ask you to keep in mind the Catholic Mobilizing Network in your prayers and contributions in this season of giving.

In the fourth edition of our monthly e-newsletter you’ll find:

• A Highlight of what is happening in California
  
• The Description of a new program happening in San Diego, CA
• Information about the Kairos Campaign and how you can get involved in the interfaith movement to abolish the death penalty
  
• An update and picture from the Dead Man Walking School Theater Project

Please pass it on, let us know what you think, and consider a contribution to CMN.

With hopes of a reflective Advent season for you and yours,

Karen Clifton

Executive Director of CMN

State Highlight of the Month: California
by Catherine Huston

The Facts:

• Over the past 10 years, 86% of all death sentences in California have come from only 10 of our 58 counties (Death by Geography).
  
• California has more people on death row than any state in the Union, currently incarcerating 713 individuals (CDCR).
  
• 80% of executions in California were for those convicted of killing whites, while only 27.6% of murder victims are white.  Furthermore, those who murder whites are over four times more likely to be sentenced to death than those who kill Latinos and over three times more likely to be sentenced to death than those who kill African-Americans (Radelet Study).
  
• The percentage of Latinos on death row is growing: Latinos comprised a staggering 50% of new death sentences in California in 2007, 38% in 2008, and 31% in 2009, raising questions about the choices made by District Attorneys in seeking death and the composition of death penalty juries (Death in Decline).
  
• California pays a hefty price for the death penalty:
  
  • In 2008 the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice found that the death penalty system in California is broken. Read the CCFAJ Report and listen to the excellent Forum Interview with the Commissioners.
    
  • According to their report, the Commission found that keeping someone on death row costs $92, 000 a year more than in maximum security.   Most people remain on death row in California for 20 -25 years.  
    
  • If we continue down the wrong track, California will spend $1 billion on the death penalty in the next five years, and our counties will spend $1.1 million more for each death penalty trial than a trial seeking permanent imprisonment.
    
  • For more on costs. visit DPF.
    
• Despite an attempt this past September, California held no state sanctioned executions in 2010.  Moreover, we have not executed anyone on death row in almost five years.  Furthermore, no executions are likely to take place in 2010 because lawsuits in federal and state courts over the state’s lethal injection process remain unresolved until after the first of the year.
  
• California’s newly elected Attorney General, Kamala Harris, opposes the death penalty. read more Furthermore, our incoming Governor Jerry Brown may be more willing to commute death sentences than Governor Schwarzenegger, due to moral reservations founded in his Catholic faith.
• Kristoff column

The Policy:
The California Catholic Conference, the official public policy voice of the Bishops, issued a statement on September 28, 2010, just days before an execution was scheduled.  (an execution that was subsequently halted.)

The CCC statement reads in part… “As Catholic bishops, we teach and preach the Gospel vision of a "culture of life." We believe that each human person is created in God’s image. We are compelled to teach a consistent ethic of life and to speak publicly that the use of the death penalty does not protect human life, does not promote human dignity, and does not reduce violence in our society.” read more

An important outreach of the California Catholic Conference is restorejustice.com founded to offer healing and support to everyone affected by the criminal justice system throughout the U.S.  Resources are available for victims of crime, offenders and their families, corrections staff, chaplains, criminal justice system employees and management, and advocates for restorative justice.
To view a listing of the CA Catholic Conference’s death penalty resources here

The Advocates:
California People of Faith  Working Against the Death Penalty  (CPF)
Death Penalty Focus (DPF) 
California Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty  (CCV)
California Catholic Conference 
California Catholic Lawyers Against the Death Penalty

The California Catholic Conference works closely with DPF and CPF in getting word out through the Diocesan Directors and parishioners who sign up throughout California.  The Conference publishes a weekly newsletter, Public Policy Insights and sends out legislative alerts whenever immediate action affecting Catholics is necessary, as was the case in organizing statewide vigils this past September.

California People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty (CPF) is a statewide interfaith organization committed to ending the death penalty in California.  CPF works closely with Death Penalty Focus, their founding organization and California Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.  read more about CPF

Death Penalty Focus is one of the largest nonprofit advocacy organizations in the nation dedicated to the abolition of capital punishment through public education; grassroots and political organizing; original research; media outreach; local, state and nationwide coalition building; and the education of religious, legislative and civic leaders about the death penalty and its alternatives. read more about DPF

California Catholic Lawyers Against the Death Penalty is an organization of lawyers that seek to persuade fellow Catholics to oppose the use of the death penalty. Read More

California Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty  (CCV) is a coalition of families, friends, and loved ones of murder victims who oppose the death penalty. The coalition supports families, friends, and loved ones in telling their stories and being heard. read their stories.

Projects and Campaigns:
THE 1000 CONGREGATIONS CAMPAIGN
In California, our death penalty law must be repealed by a ballot initiative.  In our state, the death penalty remains a contentious and highly politicized issue without a lot of open debate or dialogue.  We seek to encourage informed voter choices. Through the 1000 Congregations Campaign we hope to reach out to our communities of faith, to engage in dialogue, discernment, education and prayer on the death penalty.  read more
THE 1000 CONGREGATIONS CAMPAIGN events this past month have included various parish educational outreach events featuring the stories of victims’ family members, law enforcement, and parishioners who visit individuals on death row.  Priest and Deacons gave homilies from the pulpit on the ‘consistent ethic of life’ during Respect Life month.  Parishes continue to screen movies on the death penalty followed by small study groups using Catholic resources to foster dialogue. 
Highlights this month included Sr. Helen Prejean’s appearances:

• Mercy Center, Burlingame
• USF Law School.  Video of Sr. Helen's talk
  
• Mercy High School’s production of the Dead Man Walking School Theatre Project took place November 5.  Sr. Helen was on hand afterwards for Q & A’s and a reception. Mercy also held shows on November 6, 13, and 14, 2010, with additional matinees for local middle schools performed during the school week. Read more about Sr. Helen’s visit in the Catholic San Francisco
  

CPF encourages California District Attorneys' not to seek the death penalty  read more.

Recent News
“Possible Case of Innocence on California's Death Row” Op-ed from Nicholas Kristof on the Kevin Cooper case. December 09, 2010

“Lack of Qualified Attorneys in California Delays Death Penalty Cases” By Maura Dolan, Los Angeles Times November 27, 2010

Catherine Huston is the Coordinator of The Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty for the Archdiocese of San Francisco

back to top ^

Educational Highlight: Faith in Action: Scholarship and Awards Competition

This month we’re sharing a brand new project that’s happening in southern California.

San Diego People of Faith Working Against the Death Penalty has embarked on a new abolitionist program, THE FAITH  IN ACTION: SCHOLARSHIP & AWARDS COMPETITION.

The program invites seniors from faith-based schools to write and deliver sermons or spiritual reflections that would encourage members of their own religious communities to oppose capital punishment.  Finalists will receive cash scholarships and other prizes.

There will be two distinct rounds of judging.  The first will be the reading and rating of the written sermons.  In the second round, those we deem finalists will be required to deliver their sermons before another group of judges, some who have read the submissions and some who have not.

A few weeks after the winners are chosen, all finalists will be honored at an event at which the top three students will deliver their sermons and all the awards and prizes will be handed out.  Finalists will be encouraged to bring members of their family and friends as well as their  spiritual leaders, pastors, school principals, counselors and favorite teachers.

Read more here

The Kairos Campaign to Mobilize Faith-Based Opposition to America's Death Penalty

At the end of November, Catholic Mobilizing Network traveled to Atlanta, GA to participate in the People of Faith Against the Death Penalty's Kairos Conference. During this conference, CMN connected with faith leaders from around the country who endorsed and launched the Kairos Campaign

The next decade is the kairos moment toward repealing the death penalty in the United States. It is the ripe political, social, and cultural moment in history for the movement to abolish the death penalty in the US. Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment, the supreme moment, and period of time in which something special happens.

Now is the time for the religious community to raise its voice to abolish the death penalty. People of Faith Against the Death Penalty intends to facilitate moving the religious community in America to become strategically engaged with this movement. The Kairos Campaign is composed of national, regional, and state clergy and lay leadership in the religious community intent on prayerful action.

Click here to get involved or to learn more

back to top ^

Dead Man Walking School Theater Project Update

The Massachusetts Citizens presented the 2010 Herbert and Sara Ehrmann Award to Tim Robbins and the Dead Man Walking School Theatre Project during our showcase event at Harvard University this month.  Dead Man Walking: An Afternoon Encounter with Capital Punishment included engagement with this critical topic through a theatrical reading of excerpts from Dead Man Walking, followed by a conversation featuring Sister Helen Prejean, Delbert Tibbs, Kate Lowenstein and leading faculty members from Harvard Divinity School and Northeastern University School of law.  Over 300 students and community members joined us for this exciting event!  Visit the DMW school Theater Project's website to learn more.

back to top ^