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The Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty (CNADP) has been working to abolish the death penalty in Connecticut since 1986. We stand strongly opposed to the death penalty as it is poor public policy. The death penalty does not deter crime, it is not cost efficient, it kills the mentally ill, it is economically and racially biased, it kills the innocent, and it does not provide closure to families - it is simply revenge, not justice.
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Meet With Us in Hartford The CNADP holds regional monthly meetings in Hartford, on the second Tuesday of every month except for July and August. Monthly meetings will resume after the September Annual Meeting. Meetings start at 7:00 PM. Everyone is welcome. |
Upcoming Events September 13: Annual Meeting at Christ Church Cathedral (45 Church St, Hartford, doors open at 6:00pm) |
| Jobs with CNADP |
| CNADP is hiring field organizers to boost our efforts around the state. If you're interested in being a part of our team, please click here to apply. Please click here to apply. |
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Team CNADP is Running for Abolition Again! The 2011 Marathon Fundraiser |
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Last year, we raised several thousand dollars from individuals and groups who sponsored Team CNADP runners as they competed in the 2010 Hartford Marathon. This year, we are raising our goal to $5,000 and need your help! Please click here to donate to Team CNADP. Any donation is appreciated and will go toward efforts to abolish the death penalty in Connecticut. If you want to make a donation on behalf of a business or organization, please contact Kristin Bollig at 860-796-8745 to discuss promotional sponsorships.
*Interested in running with Team CNADP? We're looking for some ambitious supporters to join our team and help us raise $5,000! Contact Ben Jones, Executive Director and Full Marathon Competitor, at 860-231-1489 to join (There are 5k and Half Marathon divisions as well). |
| Thank you for a terrific campaign! Unfortunately, repeal delayed another year |
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We want to extend a tremendous "Thank You" to all our members, volunteers, and supporters who helped make the 2011 campaign so successful. Unfortunately, we encountered a barrier at the very end which kept us from reaching our goal. Two Senators, though they still support repeal, said that they do not want to vote on the death penalty this year. Without their Senate votes, there was not enough support to pass the repeal bill.
Despite this setback, 2011 brought Connecticut closer than ever to repeal. From press conferences and speaking events to the thousands of letters, emails, postcards, and phone calls to legislators in support of repeal, there is much to celebrate from the 2011 campaign. We are disappointed that repeal is delayed, but we hope we can continue to rely on your support as we work toward our goal in the coming year. |
| The Judiciary Committee Passes Repeal Bill 27-17! |
| On Tuesday, April 12, the Judiciary Committee passed SB 1035 out of committee with a vote of 27-17. The bill, which would replace the death penalty with a sentence of life without the possibility of release, will move on to the House and Senate for votes in the coming weeks. To stay updated on the bill as it moves forward, make sure you are on the CNADP email list and are a fan of our Facebook page. Finally, check out this Hartford Courant article covering the vote. |
| Religious Leaders Press Conference on April 5 |
| Thank you to everyone who helped make the press conference for religious leaders a success! On Tuesday, April 5, over two dozen religious leaders from various faith groups spoke out against the death penalty at the Capitol. They also presented a letter, signed by over 300 religious leaders, calling on the Connecticut State Legislature to abolish the death penalty. Click here to read a Hartford Courant article and watch a brief video covering the event. |
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Bud Welch on a Recent Speaking Tour in Connecticut |
| Bud Welch, who lost his daughter in the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, was in Connecticut April 5-7 speaking out against the death penalty. He found healing through relating to the father of his daughter's murder, and fought to stop the execution of Timothy McVeigh. Welch shared his inspiring story at churches around the state. Click here to read a CT Post article about his talk at St. Gabriel's Parish in Milford on April 5. |
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Abolition Sundays & Letter Writing |
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Are you looking for volunteer opportunities or a way to get involved? CNADP is working with faith, social, and civic groups throughout the state to encourage individuals to send handwritten letters to their legislators, urging our elected officials to support repeal of the death penalty this year. Check out the "Abolition Sundays & Letter Writing" tab on the left to discover two ways that you help in this effort: Host an Abolition Sunday at your congregation -or- Host a Letter Writing Party.
Check out this blog by Susan Keller, a parishioner at Saint Peter Claver Church in West Hartford. She is a wonderful volunteer who helped her parish set up an Abolition Sunday, and you can read her blog entry on the death penalty here. |
| Death Row Exoneree Kirk Bloodsworth on a Recent Tour in Connecticut |
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| Despite the harsh winter weather, many made it out to hear the story of the first man exonerated from death row by DNA evidence. Bloodsworth spent 9 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Today, Bloodsworth advocates for post-conviction DNA testing, and he speaks out against the death penalty because of the possibility of innocent people being executed. He was in Connecticut during the week of January 30 sharing his story at parishes and schools around the state. Please click here to read an article about his presentation at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Fairfield on Monday, January 31. |
| Update: Speaking Tour with Death Row Exoneree Juan Melendez |
On December 1-3, we welcomed back Juan Melendez, who spent over 17 years on Florida's death row for a crime he did not commit. Melendez spoke with high school and university students, attended a CNADP fundraiser in New London, and was interviewed on the morning news with Fox CT! Check out the links below to read about his visit.
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Elie Wiesel and the Death Penalty: "Moral societies should not be the agents of death." |
| On October 26, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel addressed over 600 students, faculty, and guests at Wesleyan University in Middletown. Wiesel's lecture, entitled "Building an Ethical Society: The Death Penalty and Human Dignity", was his first direct address on capital punishment in the United States. He urged those in attendance to reject violence and death as solutions in today's society. Read about his lecture by clicking here, or listen to a WNPR clip. |