Representative Adriano Espaillat Introduces The Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2021

 

Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat released the following statement on the introduction of his comprehensive legislation to abolish the federal death penalty.

“The death penalty is a cruel relic of the past, and should have no place in our society,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “A government should not have the power to take the life of another person, and the death penalty is a deeply flawed and inherently unjust system.

“The death penalty is fundamentally racist, and its roots can be traced directly to America’s terrible history of lynching. Over 42 percent of those on death row and 34 percent of those executed in America are Black, but only 13 percent of America’s population is black. Furthermore, those convicted of killing White victims are seventeen times more likely to be sentenced to death than would be if the victim was Black. The racial disparities in the death penalty are beyond the pale, and we must amend this racist legacy of our criminal justice system," Espaillat continued.

“Human life is invaluable, and every human life is sacred. Yet, the death penalty forgets a core tenet of humanity – human beings change. Humans have an immense capacity to learn, to heal, and to grow. Executing someone denies this principle and gives no course for a person to grow. A person is not defined by the worst choice they made, but the death penalty only views someone’s life through this narrow lens. And what’s more, it undermines the core vision upon which this nation was founded. I am proud to introduce this legislation, and believe it is a critical step towards a more righteous, equitable, and just society for all Americans,” he concluded.

The Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2021 has been endorsed by more than 200 organizations nationwide, including:  NAACP, ACLU, Amnesty International USA, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Innocence Project, National Black Justice Coalition, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Death Penalty Action, 8th Amendment Project, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Vera Institute of Justice, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Southern Center for Human Rights, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Equal Justice USA, Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, Grassroots Leadership, Drug Policy Alliance.