ACTION ALERT - Abolish the Military and Federal Death Penalty

Despite overwhelming evidence against the death penalty, the Trump administration resumed federal executions for the first time in 17 years in July 2020. Since then, the federal government has executed 13 Americans. Capital punishment is unjust, biased, and defective, and the United States stands alone among its peers in executing its own citizens. This barbaric punishment denies the dignity and humanity of all people, but it is disproportionately applied to people who are Black, Latinx, and poor. For example, Black people make up less than 13 percent of the nation’s population while accounting for more than 42 percent of those on death row. A nationwide study found that at least 1 in 25 people sentenced to death are innocent. Research also reveals that capital punishment does not deter crime. This deeply vetted research proves there is no just reason to continue the death penalty. 

The bipartisan and bicameral Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act (House Resolution 262 (Pressley, MA-7) / Senate 582 Durbin, IL) would end the use of state-sanctioned murder by the U.S. Department of Justice. Specifically, this bill would:

1. Prohibit the imposition of the death penalty as punishment for any violation of federal law
2. Require the re-sentencing of those previously sentenced to death row.

Congress must urgently pass this legislation and bring an end to this barbaric practice, and the bill will be formally introduced in the US House next week. Everyone who wants to abolish the death penalty is asked to help ensure your members of Congress sign on to the bills as co-sponsors, or at least commit to supporting them when they come up for a vote.

Actions individuals can take to support the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act:

1. Check to see if your House Member (HR 262) and Senate Member (S.582). If they are listed as co-sponsors, use this support letter tool and thank them for support. If you don't see their name, use this same tool and ask them to address pervasive unfairness and systemic racism in the criminal legal system by ending the federal and military death penalty and support this bill.
2. Write your members of congress in the postal mail, call them, reach them via social media, and follow and share Death Penalty Action posts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok.
3. Visit this webpage from Death Penalty Action for toolkits, group resources, and other supportive actions.

As an organization, Felony Murder Elimination Project has signed on to the Organizational Letter to Congress calling for the abolition of the Military and Federal Death Penalty. If you are an organization, or can speak on behalf of an organization, that supports the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act, you can join over 500 other organizations and sign on to the organizational letter calling for abolition of the federal and military death penalty using this Federal Execution Organizational Sign On Letter portal.

Now is the time for your organization's chance to be included in the historic reintroduction documents next week. Death Penalty Action will be adding more organizations on an ongoing basis as we continue mobilizing in support of ending the federal and military death penalty. However, any groups signed on by 9pm EDT on July 10th will be listed with endorsers when the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act is reintroduced later next week, expected to be on July 12th.

Death Penalty Action works to stop executions and abolish the death penalty, to advocacy, education, and action by providing high visibility resources, leadership, support, educational and direct action events and activities within the broader anti-death penalty movement. DPA is prepared to assist various local, state and national groups in their work to end the use of the death penalty.