Education.
Health Care. Social
Services. These are the typical responses
people give when asked what they would do with $64 million.
Governor Schwarzenegger seems to be the only one who
thinks that we should be spending that money on a new
death row. Despite California's $19 billion budget deficit,
Governor Schwarzenegger's administration announced that
it will borrow $64 million from the state's cash-strapped
general fund to begin building a new 1,152-bed death
row at San Quentin State Prison.
Governor Schwarzenegger's budget cuts
have often come at the expense of victims. Los Angeles
can no longer afford overtime for homicide investigators.
Oakland laid off police officers. The Victim's Compensation
Fund was cut by $50 million.
The Governor's decision is completely
irresponsible, especially at a time when we cannot even
afford basic services.
Learn more and spread the word with
these YouTube videos!
California
Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
is a coalition of families, friends, and loved ones
of murder victims who oppose the death penalty. The
coalition supports families, friends, and loved ones
in telling their stories and being heard. CCV educates
the public about alternatives to the death penalty and
provides information regarding resources and support
to families regardless of their views on the death penalty
or whether the perpetrator has been apprehended.
Families and loved ones of murder victims support alternatives
to the death penalty for many reasons, including:
The death penalty process is a traumatizing experience
for families, often requiring them to relive the
pain and suffering of the death of their loved one
for many years. Life without parole provides certain
punishment without the endless reopening of wounds.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on the
death penalty each year. If we replace the death
penalty with life without parole, millions of dollars
could be spent on violence-prevention efforts, solving
unsolved cases, and increasing victim services.
The death penalty places the focus on the legal
consequences, not the human consequences. Attention
is directed on the crime and the accused, instead
of where it belongs — on the family and loved
ones of the victim and on the community. Life without
parole punishes the criminal without putting him
or her in the headlines.
California
Crime Victims for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
is a coalition of families, friends, and loved ones
of murder victims who oppose the death penalty. The
coalition supports families, friends, and loved ones
in telling their stories and being heard. CCV educates
the public about alternatives to the death penalty and
provides information regarding resources and support
to families regardless of their views on the death penalty
or whether the perpetrator has been apprehended. 