Timed to coincide with the delivery of a new letter from Members of Congress to the Biden Administration’s Attorney General, Rev. Sharon Risher, Chairwoman of the board of directors of Death Penalty Action, will announce the delivery of an organizational letter to President Biden (copied to Attorney General Garland), signed by more than 275 organizations and accompanied by more than 20,000 petition signatures. A Congressional sign-on letter being organized by Senator Richard Durbin and Rep. Ayanna Pressley will be delivered today to Attorney General Merrick Garland. Durbin and Pressley are the lead sponsors on the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act, which has the bi-partisan and bi-cameral support of nearly 100 Members of Congress.
“We are urging the Biden Administration to do everything they can to stop seeking new federal and military death sentences, commute the existing death sentences under their jurisdiction, and to order the demolition of the federal death house at Terre Haute, Indiana,” said Risher, whose mother, two cousins and six others were killed by a man currently on federal death row. Risher advocates to end the death penalty “because his death sentence lingers over me and my family too, and we don’t want to be reminded of his horrific actions every time another appeal comes up.”
Below is the full text of the letter.
President Joseph R. Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
Your declared intention to abolish the federal death penalty has our sturdy support. At the same time, we must express our dismay at the lack of progress toward your stated goal, or even an indication of your intent to implement policy shifts that are within your power as President to enact unilaterally.
We were further dismayed at the vote against the UN Resolution for a Worldwide Moratorium on the Use of the Death Penalty by the United States at the United Nations General Assembly on December 15, 2022. We consider that a “missed opportunity” to send a clear message both globally and within the United States that your Administration considers executions to be unacceptable in all cases.
As you are aware, this abhorrent and outdated punishment raises profound concerns, including the arbitrariness of its application, its inherent racial bias, and the alarming rate of innocence among those sentenced to death. Ending the federal and military death penalty is not only an important step toward correcting myriad flaws in the criminal legal system in the United States, it is both good governance and a moral imperative.
The good news is that it is not too late to act decisively. We urge you to exhibit leadership to make federal executions impossible by taking the following immediate actions:
Commute the sentences of those currently on federal and military death rows;
Deauthorize all pending federal capital trial cases and establish guidelines prohibiting authorization of any new death penalty prosecutions during your administration;
Rescind the lethal injection protocol; rescind the “Manner of Execution”
regulation that took effect in December 2020; rescind internal DOJ guidelines on litigating death row cases that took effect in December 2020;
Order the Federal Bureau of Prisons to demolish the federal execution chamber and the building in which it is housed at the Federal Correctional Institution at Terre Haute;
Pledge to support and sign the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act (H.R. 262/S.B. 582), which abolishes federal and military death penalty laws, removes the possibility of death sentences, and mandates fair re-sentencing of those currently on federal and military death rows.
We and a burgeoning number of our partner organizations around the country and internationally stand ready to support you in this giant leap toward a more just United States. We are grateful that under your administration there have been no additional executions of federal prisoners.
Thank you for your immediate action.
Sincerely,
Rev. Sharon Risher
Chair, Death Penalty Action
Daughter of Ethel Lance, whose killer is a prisoner on Federal Death Row
289 Signing organizations as of 5pm ET on January 2, 2023
Including these leading national organizations:
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation
Amnesty International USA
Association of U.S. Catholic Priests
Catholic Mobilizing Network
Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE)
Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty
Death Penalty Action
Death Penalty Focus
Democrats For Life of America
The Eighth Amendment Project
EJUSA Evangelical Network
Episcopal Peace Fellowship
Equal Justice USA
Faithful America
Franciscan Action Network
Human Rights Watch
The Innocence Project
L'chaim! Jews Against the Death Penalty
LIVEFREE USA
Methodist Federation for Social Action
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF)
National Association of Social Workers
National Lawyers Guild - Midwest Region
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Pax Christi USA
Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
Red Letter Christians
Rehumanize International
The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society
Uri L'Tzedek: The Orthodox Social Justice Movement
Vote Common Good
War Resisters League
Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
Witness to Innocence
Full list, Alphabetized
Adrian Dominican Sisters
AFDA - Advocates for Friends in Death Row
Ahimsa
Alabama CURE
North Alabama Peace Network
Alaskans Against a Death Penalty
All Are One Roman Catholic Church, Winona, MN
Alle Querce di Mamre - Como
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation
Amnesty International USA
Amnesty International France
Amnesty International Florida
Amnesty International Group 4
Amnesty International Group 15, Concord, MA
Amnesty International Group 30, San Francisco
Amnesty International Group 37 MN
Amnesty International Local Group 40
Amnesty International USA - Group 73 of Ithaca NY
Amnesty International Group 86, Cincinnati OH
Amnesty International Group 133, Boston
Amnesty International 213, Raleigh
Amnesty International Group 317, Indianapolis
Amnesty International USA San Francisco East Bay Chapter
Arctic Inuit Art
Arkansas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
The Art & Politics of Justice & Joy
Association of U.S. Catholic Priests
Association of Pittsburgh Priests
Atlantic Center for Capital Representation
Augustinians
Baltimore Nonviolence Center
Baltimore Peace Action
Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren
Benedictine Sisters of Florida
Benedictine University
Bergen County (NJ) Immigration Strategy Group
Bethany United Church of Christ, Seattle
booksinside.org
Booming Investments pty ltd
Boston College Innocence Program
Bruce R. Allen Paralegal
Caldwell Catholic Community
California Innocence Project
California People of Faith Against the Death Penalty
Casa Baltimore Limay
Catholic Conference of Oklahoma
Catholic Mobilizing Network
Catholic Peace Ministry - Des Moines
Catholic Worker Movement
Catholics for Abolition in North Carolina
Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants
The Center for Victims of Torture
Christian Action for the Abolition of Torture local french group
Church of Scientology National Affairs Office
Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE)
Cities of Refuge Christian Church
Clergy and Laity for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
COASAP
Colorado-CURE, Inc.
Community Resource Initiative
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office
Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty
Consistent Life Network
Constantine/White Pigeon United Methodist Parish
CURE - Michigan
CURE - Maryland
CURE - Ohio
CURE- Oregon
CURE- SORT
David D Dodge Foundation
DC Reentry Task Force
Death Penalty Action
Death Penalty Alternatives for Arizona
Death Penalty Focus
Death Penalty Focus Los Angeles/St. Camillus
Death Penalty Photography Project
Delaware Citizens Opposed to the Death Penalty
Democrats For Life of America
Des Moines Faith Committee for Peace
Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids
Dominican Sisters of Adrian, MI
Dominican Sisters of Peace
Dominican Sisters of Houston
Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa
Dominican Sisters of Sparkill
Donkeysaddle Projects
Eagle Yachts
Earl Carl Institute for Legal & Social Policy, Inc.
The Eighth Amendment Project
EJUSA Evangelical Network
Episcopal Peace Fellowship
Equal Justice USA
The Exoneration Project
Exoneration Justice Clinic
Extended Hands Ministries
Faith in the Valley
Faithful America
Feminists Choosing Life of New York, Inc.
Feminists for Nonviolent Choices
Feral Mother Studio LLC
First Unitarian Church of Oklahoma City
Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Franciscan Action Network
Fraternité Bon Larron
French Coalition Against the Death Penalty
Gainesville Citizens for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center
Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (GCADP)
Get on the Bus for Human Rights
The Giant Bubble Show
Global Health Partners
Good Trouble Makers
Greater Caribbean for Life
Greenhouse Experiment
Green Party of Washington
Hidden Voices
Holy Family Parish Faith in Action
HOPEace
Hope for Prisoners Task Force Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington. indiana
Human Rights Watch
Ideas Home
Ignite Justice Mississippi Chapter
Illinois Innocence Project
IMAGINARIUM
In the Executioner's Shadow Documentary team
Indiana Catholic Conference
Initiative Hope for Life
INKstain Studio
Innocence Project
The Innocence Project at UVA School of Law
Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (Cincinnati)
Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center (Seattle)
InterFaith Council of the Wabash Valley
Interfaith Montgomery
Interfaith Worker Justice - New Mexico
ITCHY PA
Joint Enterprise Not Guilty by Association (JENGbA)
Journey of Hope …From Violence to Healing
Julius Jones Coalition
Justice and Mercy
Justice and Mercy For All
Justice Consultants, LLC
Justice for Keith LaMar
Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Ministry -St.Mary’s in Pompton Lakes, NJ
Justice Policy Institute
Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty
Kentucky Behavioral Health Center
Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
Kentucky Committee to End Executions
Kentucky Innocence Project
Kevin Cooper Defense Committee
Koinonia Farm
L'chaim! Jews Against the Death Penalty
Lakeshore Pax Christi
LAREPEAL
Lauren Faith Smith Ministry for Nonviolence
Legal Awareness Watch Pakistan
Leonard Peltier Defense Committee
Lincoln Montlhy Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Long Beach Justice Project
Louisiana Survivors for Reform
Lifespark - Movement Against the Death Penalty
LIVEFREE USA
Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition
Manna House Memphis
Marianist Social Justice Collaborative
Medical Mission Sisters - Justice Office
Methodist Federation for Social Action
Methodist Federation for Social Action, Oregon-Idaho regional community
Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church
Middle Ground Prison Reform
Midwest Innocence Project
Milwaukee Zen Center
Mississippi CURE
Montana Innocence Project
More Than Our Crimes
NAMI Huntington, NY
NAACP - Greater Terre Haute NAACP Branch
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF)
National Association of Social Workers
National Lawyers Guild, Detroit & Michigan Chapter
National Lawyers Guild - Midwest Region
National Lawyers Guild - St. Louis Chapter
Nebraskans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
New Hour
NoToExecution Campaign
North Carolina Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NCCADP)
North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence
North Carolina Council of Churches
Northern California Innocence Project
Notre Dame Sisters, Omaha Province
Nevada Coalition Against the Death Penalty
New Jersey Association on Correction
New Mexico Conference of Churches
The New York Catholic Worker
Ongd AFRICANDO
Ohioans to Stop Executions
The Ohio Council of Churches
Ohio Innocence Project
Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
Or Hamidbar, Palm Spring
Or Tzafon, Suttons Bay, MI
Oregon CURE
Oregon Justice Resource Center (Oregon Innocence Project)
Our Lady of Lourdes Church - Social Justice Committee, Decatur
PA Windell Photos
Parallax Perspectives
Pacifica Peace People
Pacifica Social Justice
Pax Christi Cleveland Chapter
Pax Christi Harrisburg
Pax Christi Illinois
Pax Christi Maine
Pax Christi Maryknoll
Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore
Pax Christi Naperville
Pax Christi New York State
Pax Christi Northern CA
Pax Christi Northwest
Pax Christi Rhode Island
Pax Christi San Marino
Pax Christi South Dakota
Pax Christi St. John Neumann
Pax Christi Texas
Pax Christi USA
Pax Christi Western Massachusetts
Peace & Social Justice Committee of Homewood Friends Monthly Meeting (Baltimore)
Prison to Prosperity Advocacy Movement
The Prison Show - KPFT 90.1 FM
Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty
The Promise of Justice Initiative
Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
Red Letter Christians
Reedley Peace Center
Rehumanize International
Remerg
Return Strong NV
Rocky Mountain Innocence Center
Salvatorians
San Diegans Against the Death Penalty
Saint Anne's Episcopal Church - Winston-Salem, NC
Saint Camillus Center for Spiritual Care
Saint Gabriel Peace and Justice
St James Catholic Church - Kansas City, KS
St. Patrick Center - Saint Louis, MO
Saint Susanna Pax Christi/Pax Christi MA board
Sing For Change
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur USA
Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
Sisters of Saint Francis and Therese Catholic Worker
Sisters of St Joseph - Brentwood
Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, LA
Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester
Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chestnut Hill Philadelphia PA
Sisters of the Holy Cross
Society of Helpers
South Carolinians for Alternatives to the Death
South Dakotans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Southern Methodist University Human Rights program
Supporting Our Loved Ones Group
Temple Beth El, Richmond, VA
Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (TADP)
Tikkun Olam Chavurah - Philadelphia
TischPDX
Tokata-LPSG RheinMain e. V.
Twin Cities Amnesty Group #37
Twin Cities Nonviolent
Ungvarsky Law, PLLC
Unitarian Universalists For Alternatives To The Death Penalty
Unitarian Universalists of Central Delaware
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Montgomery
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh
Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware, Social & Environmental Justice Committee
Universal Compassion Buddhist Congregation
United Church of Christ - Heartland Conference
The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society
Uri L'Tzedek: The Orthodox Social Justice Movement
Ursuline Sisters Leadership
UR Restored Ministries
VATTICA
Vermont Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errant(s)
Veterans For Peace Eisenhower Chapter 157
Vine and Fig Tree Community-Fredonia AL
Voiceless Behind Bars
Vote Common Good
The Waging Peace Project
War Resisters League
Washington Innocence Project
Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
West Seattle Administrative & Paralegal Services
Western Massachusetts JUSTFAITH Community
Western New York Drilling Defense
Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice
Witness to Innocence
The Wonder Brothers
Women Against Registry Foundation