In 2007, forty-two inmates on death row were executed in the United States. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, twenty-six – more than half – were put to death in the state of Texas.
As of August 14, 2008, nine death row prisoners have already been executed in Texas. In the next two months, twelve executions will take place. In addition, six executions have already been scheduled for 2009.
“The Death Penalty is an important issue dealing with life and death…it is horrible how the government and the state of Texas are able to kill another human being as the ultimate punishment,” said Savannah Engel, an SMU senior and an advocate for abolishing the death penalty.
“With the death penalty you are ruining twice as many lives: the lives of the victims of the crime, and the lives of the committers of the crime. Not to mention the two parties’ families,” said Engel. “It does not make sense to put all of these people through so much pain.”
Engel, along with other members of the Dallas community, is a part of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.
According to their website, www.tcadp.org, TCAPD is made up of: human rights activists, death row prisoners and their families, crime victims and their families, members of the criminal justice system, those apposed to capital punishment on religious and moral grounds, and ordinary, concerned citizens.
“It is a pretty interesting group because it has the victims family members, as well as the family members of those who were executed,” said Rick Halperin, TCAPD’s president and director of SMU’s Human Rights Education program. “It is made up of people from a variety of angles who are affected with this issue.”
TCAPD mission is to come together to end the death penalty everywhere. TCAPD aims to educate members of the community about the death penalty, as well as supporting the prisoners on death row and their families.
The non-profit organization is affiliated with the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty as well as the World Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.
The Dallas chapter of TCAPD meets every third Wednesday of the month 7 to 9 p.m. in the rotunda basement of Dallas Hall.
“It is open to anyone who wants to learn more about the issue or who wants to get involved in working for the end to the death penalty,” said Halperin. “It is a difficult and emotional issue… it is not an easy one at all”
