Time for Californians to end death penalty

By Janis Gay

John Van de Kamp’s commentary in the June 12 edition of the Register calling for the end of the death penalty was spot on.

Van de Kamp was California Attorney General for eight years and after retiring from politics the chair of the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice.

The commission met 31 times over several years and examined many aspects of California’s justice system. Only three of those sessions examined the death penalty in California, yet Mr. Van de Kamp was so moved by what he learned he now speaks in a reasoned and clear voice for its abolition.

Others in law enforcement are joining him.

Recently Jeanne Woodford, former San Quentin warden who oversaw the execution of Robert Lee Massie, joined Van de Kamp at an event to talk about her change of attitude. “It is a public policy that devalues our very being and detracts crucial resources from programs that could truly make our communities safe.”

Proponents of the death penalty often rely on the adage that executions are justice for murdered victims’ family members. Many family members are pointing to the flaws in the death penalty. Organizations such as California Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty and Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation are saying, “Don’t kill in our names!” and their voices are growing louder and louder.

There are more than 670 men on death row in San Quentin. We have executed 13 since 1977 and four times that many have died from natural causes or suicide. The system is broken and it would take a minimum of an additional $95 million annually to fix it. If the governor would commute all the sentences of the men on death row to permanent imprisonment, we will save more than $125 million a year.

At a time when we are making our state less safe by cutting law enforcement, safety departments and victims’ services, it just is crazy not to end the futility and madness of the death penalty.

There is one area in which I would disagree with Mr. Van de Kamp. He says we need a courageous governor to stop the death penalty. It is not the governor’s decision; it will be ours. Unlike most states in the U.S., Californians must vote to end the death penalty. Until we have that opportunity, we can all make it clear to California district attorneys that death penalty trials cost too much and threaten our safety.

(Gay lives in St. Helena.)

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