Write to your legislator

A great way to help abolish the death penalty is to write a letter tp your elected state officials to tell them how you feel about the death penalty and to let them know that you support the abolition of the death penalty.

To find out who your state officials are, please go to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

Sending a letter to a state official may seem to be hard to do, but it doesn't have to be.
-Clearly state that you oppose the death penalty and that you want your elected official to do the same on your behalf.
-Back up your stance against the death penalty by talking about how it does not work and how it uses up resources, like money, that could be better spent on preventing crime or helping victim's families.
-Also, do not forget to add a personal story about someone who was exonerated from death row or why you support abolishing the death penalty. Here is an example of a letter someone can send, but please create your own letter.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to you to urge you to support ending the death penalty in the state of Illinois. As you know, the state of Illinois has had a moratorium on executions since 2000. Despite the moratorium, the death penalty is still used and people continue to be sentenced to death. There is no need for the death penalty to continue to be an option in Illinois.

Innocent people are convicted and sent to death row in Illinois. Randy Steidl is one of 20 innocent people who was sentenced to death row in Illinois. He was released after spending 12 years on death row after a judge ruled that Steidl would most likely have not been convicted if his attorney had done more to challenge the state's case.

Along with the issue of innocent people on death row, the death penalty does not reduce the incidence of murder and crime. States with the death penalty have a higher murder rate than states without the death penalty. In Illinois, Cook County has committed the most people to death row and has the highest murder rate.

The death penalty is also expensive. Trying people in a capital punishment case in federal courts costs eight times as much as other cases. Every state that has done a cost study report, which Illinois is doing, has found that seeking the death penalty costs states millions of dollars more than not seeking the death penalty.

In Illinois, the Capital Litigation Trust Fund alone spent $16 million in 2007 on death penalty cases. The fund only covers the costs incurred by defendants and does not cover the costs incurred by the prosecution or other costs associated with death penalty cases. The money spent on trying capital punishment cases could be better spent on increasing police patrols, investing in after school programs, or other measures to reduce crime and benefit the community.

I strongly urge you to support ending the death penalty, and any legislation that would do so like HB 262, as it is an ineffective usage of resources that could be better spent in these trying economic times. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Address