January 15, 2010

Issue 5, Volume 1

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Dear Friend,

Refreshed and renewed with the coming of 2011, CMN continues its mission of spreading the Church’s teachings on the death penalty and working toward that end.  We are sending this to you from the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty’s annual conference in Chicago, where our colleagues, Sister Helen Prejean and Vicki Schieber are being recognized for their abolition work.  Sister Helen will be honored with NCADP’s "Lifetime Achievement Award" and Vicki will received the "Abolitionist of the Year Award."  It is our privilege to work with such dedicated individuals.  To be in Chicago at this time, when the state house and senate have just voted to repeal use of the death penalty, is amazing.  Now if the governor signs this bill (we encourage you to call Governor Quinn and ask him to sign the bill), we can say we were in Chicago just as history was being made and now 16 states have abolished the death penalty.  Our work continues.

Next week, the CMN team will be in Houston for the Religious Leaders Dialogue on the Death Penalty. We’re thrilled to be a part of this unprecedented event.  If you’re from the Houston area we encourage you to participate! It’s not too late to RSVP.

In January's newsletter we have:

• An update on what is happening in another state, Connecticut,  from the director of the Catholic Conference and an organizer from the Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty
• Historic news from Illinois
  
• An opportunity to Congratulate Vicki Schieber and Sister Helen Prejean on the recognition they are receiving from the abolition community

Karen Clifton

Executive Director of CMN

State Highlight of the Month: Connecticut
By Michael Culhane, Executive Director of the Connecticut Catholic Conference
& Bo Chamberlin, Field Organizer for the Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty

Connecticut is one of two New England states that continues to retain the death penalty (the other being New Hampshire). In all of New England in the last half century, there has been only one execution, which took place in Connecticut in 2005. Among those states which still have the death penalty in place, Connecticut has the highest proportion of Catholics. This presents a particular challenge and a wonderful opportunity for Catholics throughout the state to make a “strong stand for life” in working to abolish the death penalty.
 
In 2009, Connecticut’s General Assembly came within a single signature of seeing this repeal come to fruition. A bill to abolish the death penalty passed the Senate and House of Representatives and proceeded to the desk of then-Governor M. Jodi Rell for her signature.  Not only did she refuse to sign the bill, she subsequently vetoed it and she also refused to meet with a group of murder victims’ families who wanted to speak with her about their opposition to the death penalty.  However, in the November 2010 election cycle, in a very close race, Dannel P.  Malloy, was elected as the new Governor; he stated multiple times during his campaign that he would have signed the 2009 bill into law and would do so if “repeal” legislation showed up on his desk... Read More
 
... Since October 2009, the Connecticut Catholic Conference proudly joined with the Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty (CNADP) and many others to launch the Abolition Day Campaign to End the Death Penalty in Connecticut. Since then, many events have taken place throughout the state with either the CNADP, the Catholic Conference, or both sponsoring the event ... Read More

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Illinois State Legislature Passes Bill to Abolish Death Penalty

On Tuesday, after a lot of work from the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and the Catholic Conference of Illinois, The Illinois State Senate passed a bill to abolish the death penalty 32-25.

CMN congratulates its colleagues on the amazing work they did to make this happen!

There's still work to be done. Governor Quinn needs to to sign the bill. Please call his office: 312-814-2121 or 217-782-0244 and tell him to sign the bill! More information here.

The Following is the Statement Released from the Catholic Conference of Illinois:

THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF ILLINOIS
URGE GOVERNOR QUINN TO SIGN DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION BILL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     Contact:  Robert Gilligan
January 13, 2011       (312) 368-1066
Following last week’s approval by the Illinois House of Representatives, the Illinois State Senate approved Senate Bill 3539 on Tuesday.  This landmark legislation to abolish the death penalty in Illinois now awaits Governor Quinn’s approval.  The Catholic Bishops of Illinois urge the Governor to sign the bill.
In a letter to State Senators before their historic votes, the Bishops explained their support: “This important legislation advances the development of a culture of life in our state, a state that remains a haven for those who kill unborn children.”
Capital punishment is no longer required to protect Illinois’ citizens.  Life without parole and Illinois’ Truth in Sentencing laws can and must be used to guarantee that the guilty offenders who would have been put to death under the previous system will instead spend the rest of their lives in prison.  
Moreover, Illinois’ long experience with the death penalty has unfortunately proven, time and again, the irredeemable flaws inherent to the system.  Even subsequent to death penalty reforms instituted after former Governor George Ryan imposed the moratorium, authorities have pursued the death penalty against those later proven innocent. There can be no guarantee that the death penalty would not again be imposed on an innocent person.  This threat is too great to ignore.  
The death penalty in Illinois should be abolished.  

• The full press release here
• The Illinois Bishops letter to members of the Senate here
  

Congratulate Sister Helen Prejean and Vicki Schieber

This week, Sister Helen Prejean and Vicki Schieber among other amazing people will be recognized at the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty's annual conference in Chicago, IL. We are so proud of Vicki and Helen, our friends, collegues and our heroes, and we need your help congratulating these two amazing women. Click Here or on the link below to Congratulate Vicki and Sr. Helen:

All messages will be given to Vicki and Sr. Helen at the end of January.

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Dead Man Walking School Theater Project Update

The Dead Man Walking Project came to Harvard University in December and now it heads to Yale in April.  Who will win the battle of the Ivies this year?  Stay tuned!  In addition to Harvard and Yale, the play and discourse will take place at several other high schools and/or colleges this semester, including the Houston School for the Performing and Visual Arts on January 21 and Marshall University in February.  To see a full calendar of events, check out our website at www.dmwplay.org.

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