Our Work – Spanish Draft to Translate

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To achieve our mission, we organize year-round public education and professional media campaigns; provide speakers for schools, faith communities, and community organizations; conduct outreach to key constituents; mobilize supporters in support of or against death-penalty-related legislation; and sponsor research projects and opinion polls.

Our public education initiatives include:

Justice Advocates

Through this project, we empower the exonerated to become advocates for a better justice system. We work with those who have been convicted of serious crimes they did not commit, and amplify their voices in the debate over the death penalty. The risk of executing an innocent is one of the most important reasons many people oppose capital punishment. Mistakes happen, but at least you can release someone from prison–executions are the only irreversible punishment.

California Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (CCV)

We work with people who have lost loved ones to violence, and help them share their stories and the reasons they do not support California’s costly, failed death penalty system. It is a common misconception that all victims of violent crime favor capital punishment. CCV shows that this is not the case. With a big tent approach, the program includes families of victims ranging from restorative justice advocates to those who may not oppose the death penalty in principle but cannot support its delays and dysfunction in practice. Learn more about CCV and get involved here.

Law Enforcement Outreach

We work with law enforcement officials who know that the death penalty does not make our communities any safer. From police and corrections officers to prosecutors, many in the law enforcement community are adopting a reform-minded “smart on crime” approach, seeking to address the root causes of crime and recidivism instead of resorting to oppressive tactics and mass incarceration. We aim to show that the death penalty is not a necessary component of public safety programs, and, in fact, it is a drain on local and state resources that would be better used otherwise.