Amnesty International Applauds New Jersey Votes Toward Abolition of the Death Penalty
Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA, issued the following statement today after two key votes in
New Jersey for abolition of the death penalty.
"Amnesty International applauds this historic step toward death penalty abolition. The Assembly Law and Public Safety
Committee and the full Senate have recognized that it is just plain wrong to take a life when there is even the smallest
possibility of innocence. Diverse groups, from victims' families and police officers to academics and the public
at-large, are fed up with a system that is incredibly costly and leaves too much room for human error. Eliminating the
death penalty would free up taxpayer dollars that have supported this system, thereby paving the way for effective crime
prevention. We urge the full Assembly to recognize that the death penalty is not in New Jersey's best interest and vote
for abolition on Thursday."
ENDS