California
Summary of Recent Legislative Activity
Juvenile Restorative Justice:
SB 399 has been the recent priority. This bill allows for the review and resentencing of youth previously sentenced to life without parole. When youth do not have the possibility of parole they often do not get access to programs and rehabilitative services. For background info. in English or Spanish. CCC Bishops position on SB 399.
Articles:
Too young for a lifelong sentence?
A Catholic moral analysis of ‘life without parole’ for juvenile offenders
May 21, 2010
"When 'Life' is Cruel" in LA Times
Jan. 14, 2010
"Opposition to SB399" by Maggie Elvey
Jan. 12, 2010
Reports:
"When I Die, They'll Send Me Home: Youth Sentenced to Life without Parole in California," Human Rights Watch Report, Jan. 2008
"Sentencing Our Children to Die in Prison," USF School of Law- Center for Law and Global Justice, Nov. 2007
Videos:
God Cries When We Sentence Youth to Die in Prison
Watch the video
*See Below for National Juvenile Justice Issues
Death Penalty:
May 17, 2009
Challenge Racial Discrimination in the DP
In CA, Latinos comprised a staggering 50 percent of new death sentences in 2007, 38 percent of death sentences in 2008, and 31 percent of death sentences in 2009. In contrast, Latinos comprised only 16 percent of those sentenced to death in 2001.
Read More: article about SB 1331
SB 1331 Bill
"Abolishing the Death Penalty: Moving Beyond Fear and Rage"
Commentary by Rev. Michael Carson
"Research shows no connection between death penalty, deterrence"
by Jessie Abrams in Catholic Voice of Oakland, CA, July 6, 2009
"Death Penalty opponents: life sentence is more effective, cheaper
alternative" by Catholic Voice Staff of Oakland, CA, July 6, 2009
Lethal Injection Protocals
June 11, 2010
California's Revised Execution Protocols Rejected
Citing inconsistency within the new protocols and violations of other state laws, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) this week rejected the state's new execution protocols. OAL's job is to ensure that laws are "clear, necessary, legally valid, and available to the public," according to its website.
The new protocols were required when a San Jose Federal Court judge ruled that the previous execution procedure might constitute "cruel and unusual punishment." The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) rewrote the procedure for lethal injection of condemned inmates and in response, built a new death chamber at San Quentin
As required by law, they also opened the protocols to public comments, resulting in more than 20,000 public objections to the procedure. For instance, prison chaplains were required to give officials an assessment of an inmate's readiness for execution. (Read Chaplains Proposed Role in Executions Called into Doubt.)
In addition to its main concerns - that the protocols conflict with other state laws and new forms which were not even consistent within the new protocols -- OAL pointed to the CDRC's failure to respond to many of the public comments. CDCR must now revise the protocols and open them up for public comment again. They have until October of this year to "revise the revisions."
For more information, contact Debbie McDermott, dmcdermott@cacatholic.org. A statement from the California Catholic Conference on The Gospel of Life and Capital Punishment is available here.
Jan. 21, 2010
Over 12,000 Object to California’s Execution Plan
Wide range of groups and individuals say lethal injection proposal continues to be flawed
"Over 12,000 individuals, from California and across the country, have submitted comments objecting to the new execution plan recently released by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The revised plan, released for public comment on January 4, 2010, is part of the CDCR's efforts to kick-start executions which have been on hold in California for four years."
Articles on Public Hearings and Day of Action on June 30, 2009
Los Angeles Times
Sacramento Bee
Stockton Record
Associated Press
"California's Death Row's Dicey Math," Opinion in LA Times
"Chaplains Proposed Role in Lethal Injections Called into Doubt" Fr. George Horan's Testimony
Natasha Minsker, ACLU N. California in Daily Kos
Human Rights Watch, Letter to California Department of Corrections
Death Penalty Focus Report on Day of Action
June 19, 2009
California Catholic Conference of Bishops' position on the Lethal Injection Protocals
Apr. 16, 2009
California Department of Corrections Proposed Regulations for Lethal Injection
The California Catholic Conference posts frequent updates on restorative justice legislative activity in California.
NATIONAL
*The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Office of Government Liaison (OGL) represents the USCCB before Congress on public policy issues of concern to the bishops. OGL coordinates and directs the legislative activities of the USCCB staff and other church personnel to influence the actions of the Congress.
Learn about the issues >>
Contact OGL congressional liaison staff >>
Juvenile Issues
US Supreme Court
May 18, 2010
Court rules against LWOP for juveniles of non-homicide crimes
Read the California Cath. Conf. Restorative Justice committee chairs' response.
For more info. contact the CA Diocesan Directors: click here
US Congress
Apr. 14, 2010
"Catholic Charities Executive Testifies Before House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science"
Greg Kepferle, CEO of Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, CA, in House testimony today, called on Congress to maintain and increase funding for juvenile justice programs with a priority on funding for early prevention and intervention and funding for proven alternatives to incarceration.
Read Article
Florida
Juvenile Life Without Parole:
Commentary by Florida Catholic Conference
Bishops of South Statement
Florida Research Report- updated Sept. 14, 2009
Human Rights Watch Reports
State Distribution of Youth Serving Juvenille Life Without Parole, Oct. 2009
"The Rest of Their Lives": Oct. 11, 2005
Updated Version: May 2008
Equal Justice Initiative Report
"Cruel and Unusual: Sentencing 13 and 14-Year-Old Children to Die in Prison:" Nov. 2007
Death Penalty
*Status of the Death Penalty by State
*Pending Legislation by State
*Federal Legislative Activity
Jan. 20, 2010
Bishop's Testimony to Repeal the Death Penalty: Kansas
Bishop Michael Jackels of Wichita testified before the Kansas Senate Judiciary Committee on behalf of legislation that would repeal the death penalty statute in our state. Under the bill, life without parole would replace capital punishment.
Read his testimony
Resources and Mobilizing
*USCCB: Catholic Campaign to End the Death Penalty
Catholic Mobilizing Network
The Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty was launched on January 25, 2009. It is working in collaboration with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Its goal: to put the Church’s teaching about the death penalty into action. We seek to foster respectful dialogue about this serious life issue by offering educational tools and meaningful actions to schools, parishes, church groups, community groups, and individual leaders and laypersons.
Website
People of Faith Against the Death Penalty
The mission of People of Faith Against the Death Penalty is to educate and mobilize faith communities to act to abolish the death penalty in the United States.
PFADP seeks to be totally inclusive - reaching out to all citizens regardless of faith, race or ethnic group, income, political affiliation, age, ability, and so on. Our members include Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and people from other faith traditions. If you are comfortable with us, we are comfortable with you!
Website: Offers News and Event Updates along with Action Alerts
Death Penalty Focus
Founded in 1988, 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.
Website
Check out our letter-to-the-editor tool which makes submitting letters easy by providing talking points and contact information for the newspapers close to where you live.
Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Death Penalty Information Center
Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation
