Letter to the CA Fair Adminstration of Justice Commission

As people of faith, we cannot accept the state sanctioned killing of another human being. It is a disgrace that the State of CA has yet to abolish the death penalty and commute all death sentences to life without the possibility of parole. The State of CA Correctional system continues to house over 600 death row inmates. We are currently in a moratorium because the system is so broken.
Despite our best efforts, our society is still plagued with racism and social inequalities. Our legislators and judges need to come terms with the facts that no matter how much money and safeguards are put in place, this system can never be administered fairly and justly. All the procedures we futility put in place will never be able to reach the inner chambers of our hearts and minds where the vestiges of racism remain.
As clergy we are the first responders. Many community members will come to us for emotional and spiritual support in times of crisis. Many of us have walked with the grieving mothers who have seen their child’s future stolen from them. Last September, we lost Baby Luis Garcia, a three-week-old boy hit by a stray bullet. The DA offices would have us believe that they alone speak on behalf of the victims’ families and the need for death penalty “to help bring them closure.” In our pastoral counselling experiences with the grieving mothers, this has not been the primary concern expressed by them. Rather than seeing another grieving mother in the San Quentin viewing room, they want to see our time and talents invested in their local communities so other at risk youth can pursue another path, the way of peace and prosperity. Out of the tragedy, these grieving mothers are seeking meaning and hope not more violence and despair for another family.
As faith community leaders, we urge you to abolish the death penalty so we can focus our resources and efforts on administering restorative justice. In Los Angeles County, fifty percent of our African American and Latino youth will not graduate from high school. We have ninety thousand youth (16-25) who are not are in school or gainfully employed. The City of Los Angeles and the State of CA are facing alarming budget challenges. Instead of diverting precious resources into cost prohibitive death penalty litigations, let us invest our resources in our childrens’ education, recreation and vocational programs. Together, we can help prevent another mother from having to bear the tragedy and grief of burying her own child.