California's gradual retreat from capital punishment

[marmar]

California's gradual retreat from capital punishment
It's a sign that California is having second thoughts that a former prison warden is leading the campaign against the death penalty

Sadhbh Walshe
guardian.co.uk, Friday 17 August 2012


During her tenure as warden of San Quentin prison, Jeanne Woodford presided over the executions of four prisoners. Now, as executive director of Death Penalty Focus, Woodford is leading the charge to pass a resolution known as Proposition 34, which would eliminate the ultimate punishment in the state of California. Woodford was never a death penalty enthusiast, but after witnessing her fourth execution, in 2002, she decided enough was enough. After each condemned man finally drew his last breath, she said, someone in the room who had witnessed the grim proceedings would inevitably ask the same question.

"Is the world safer because of what we did tonight? We all knew the answer was no."

Voters in California will get to have their say on Proposition 34 this coming November and if it is passed into law, it would make California the 18th state to turn its back on the death penalty. It would also be a significant victory for all those opposed to the concept of "an eye for an eye" justice. California has more prisoners on death row than any other state in the nation (over 714) and spends more on the trials and appeals that keep them there ($184m per year) than is comfortable for a state struggling to pay for essential services.

Yet, the proposal is being met with vehement opposition from death penalty advocates, including the office of the district attorney in Sacramento, on the grounds that some criminals have simply forfeited their right to live and that the families of their victims deserve closure. They believe that reforming the system by expediting the trial process and limiting the number of appeals is the better way forward.

Speeding up the trial process would, indeed, save money, but there is a pretty solid reason why trials take more time and effort when a death penalty is sought rather than life without parole. No one wants to see an innocent person put to death for a crime they did not commit. Several people have been executed despite serious misgivings about their culpability, and 140 people have been released from death row on evidence of their innocence. In California alone, six people on death row have been exonerated since 1976. If we truly believe that our court system should actually be about dispensing justice, then speeding up the process just to save money is not the way to go. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/aug/17/california-gradual-retreat-from-capital-punishment