THIS JUST IN… Big news. Connecticut abolished the death penalty yesterday. Only 33 more states to go.
It’s time we stop killing people who kill people to show that killing people is wrong.
In a historic and courageous act, Governor Dannel Malloy signed a bill on April 25, 2012 that will effectively abolish the death penalty in the state of Connecticut. Below is a list of the states that still have the death penalty and the states that have abolished it (along with the year of abolition). As a follower of the executed and risen Jesus – this is beautiful grace-filled news.
States Without the Death Penalty
Alaska (1957)
Connecticut (2012) Hawaii (1957) Illinois (2011) Iowa (1965) Maine (1887) Massachusetts (1984) Michigan (1846) |
Minnesota (1911)
New Jersey (2007) New Mexico (2009) New York (2007) North Dakota (1973) Rhode Island (1984) Vermont (1964) |
West Virginia (1965)
Wisconsin (1853) ALSO Dist. of Columbia (1981) |
States with the Death Penalty
Alabama
Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Delaware Florida Georgia Idaho Indiana Kansas Kentucky |
Louisiana
Maryland Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire North Carolina Ohio Oklahoma Oregon |
Pennsylvania
South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Washington Wyoming |
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Shane Claiborne is a prominent author, speaker, activist, and founding member of the Simple Way. He is one of the compilers of Common Prayer, a new resource to unite people in prayer and action. Shane is also helping develop a network called Friends Without Borders which creates opportunities for folks to come together and work together for justice from around the world.