legal history
The Racist Roots of the Death Penalty
Racial injustice was central to the establishment of the U.S. death penalty. Ending racial injustice must be central to its abolition.
death penalty
8 posts in ‘death penalty’
In Depth
The Myth of Forever Sleep
A new book examines why states continue to sell the American people on the utility of lethal injection—despite its well-documented, monstrous failings.
A closer look
Almost Anti–Death Penalty
Biden’s incomplete slate of commutations saved lives but ultimately lost the moral argument.
democracy & power
Death Qualified
The presidential candidates are worlds apart on the death penalty. The winner could either jolt or sap the energy of the movement to end it.
Life Inside
The Last Breakfast
I kept my promise to break bread with my friend Dobie one last time, right before the state of Louisiana put him to death.
organizing
Abolition Everywhere
Despite the stumbling blocks imposed by Republican state governments, abolition is happening in the South and in small towns, with organizing specially tailored to local needs.
In the States
Moving Forward
After a clean sweep in November, Republicans are now running Virginia. But the prospect of more progress, and justice, remains within reach for all Virginians.
Reflections
A Failure of the Imagination
Like torture and the death penalty, mass incarceration is life-destroying. And indefensible.