NEW YORK'S D E A T H P E N A L T Y

The Facts IN New York had the second most number of NEW YORK executions between 1608 and 1972, behind only Virginia. The execution of William Inmates remained on until 2007, but Kemmler in 1890 was the last execution occurred in 1963. preceded by a large investigation of how to The main methods of execution were and improve the method of the electric chair, but burning at the stake, firing execution from hanging. Tests squad, and the breaking wheel have also been on horses were used and the used. state finally decided to issue The death penalty was temporarily abolished in the death penalty by way of the electric chair. 1860 by a legislative mistake, but was reinstated a year later in 1861. New York limited its death penalty laws in 1867 Following Furman v. Georgia in 1973, New York rewrote the laws for making the death penalty mandatory for those who BISHOPS OF NEW murdered a police or correctional officer and YORK STATEMENT those who committed while serving a life REGARDING THE sentence. DEATH PENALTY New York gradually abolished the death penalty, beginning with ending it for the murder of police The New York State Catholic Conference declared the and correctional officers in 1977 and then ended following regarding the New the death penalty for those who committed York Bishops' views on the murder while serving a life sentence in 1984, death penalty. "the Catholic officially abolishing the death penalty in the state bishops of New York State and of New York. the country believe that capital punishment is not In 2004, the death penalty was deemed justified in contemporary unconstitutional by the state legislature and the society. They seek a society of final death sentence was changed to life in prison justice and peace, and urge in 2007. elected officials to send the All execution equipment was removed from state message taht we can break the horrific cycle of violence facilities in 2008. without taking life for life." (2015)

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New York State Catholic Conference: http://www.nyscatholic.org/ The Church and State Speak

The Church Speaks The States Speak Catechism of the Catholic Church Innocence "The Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, Nationally, over 160 people have been that “the death penalty is inadmissible because it exonerated from death row. is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the For every nine executions carried out in the person”,[1] and she works with determination for United States, one person has been found to its abolition worldwide." (CCC 2267) be innocent. Racial Bias Evangelium Vitae 76% of death row defendants have been Pope St. John Paul II's encyclical on human executed for killing white victims, even though dignity, challenges us to be "unconditionally pro- African--Americans make up about half of all life.": "The case of someone who has done great homicide victims. evil. Modern society has the means of protecting African-Americans are overrepresented on itself, without definitively denying criminals the death row. They makeup 13% of the US chance to reform." (Evangelium Vitae, 27) population but constitute 42% of death row. Criminalization of Mental Illness United States Conference and Intellectual Disabilities of Catholic Bishops A study in the Hastings Law Journal of recent "Its [the death penalty] application is deeply executions found that "over half of the last one flawed and can be irreversibly wrong, is prone to hundred executed offenders have been errors and is biased by factors such as race, the diagnosed with or displayed symptoms of quality of legal representation and where the mental illness." was committed." (A Culture of Life and the The Supreme Court banned the execution of Penalty of Death, USCCB, 2005) those with intellectual disabilities but states have significantly deviated from accepted Words of the Popes clinical methods for determining intellectual disability. Pope Francis: "Rendering justice' does not mean seeking punishment for its own sake, but Overrepresentation of the Poor ensuring that the basic purpose of all The majoritiy of individuals on death row could punishment is the rehabilitation of the offender." not afford their own attorney. In many cases, World Congress Against the Death Penalty, June the appointed attorneys are overworked , 22, 2016 underpaid, or lacking the trial experience Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI: "Society's leaders required for death penalty cases. should make every effort to eliminate the death Costly Public Policy penalty and to reform the penal system in a way Multiple studies have shown the cost of trial that ensures respect for the prisoners' human sentencing, appeals and imprisonment to be dignity." Benin, Africa, Nov. 19, 2011 much higher in capital cases versus life in prison without parole. Geographic Basis 2% of all U.S. counties have produced 56% of the U.S. death row population.