January 27, 2021

IAHR signed on to a letter being circulated by Amnesty International, The Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights, the ACLU, and other organizations asking the Biden Administration to put an end to executions by the Federal Government by commuting federal death sentences. Here is the letter I received:

Dear Colleagues,

I’m reaching out to ask for your organization to join a coalition letter already supported by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, ACLU, Amnesty International USA, and LDF calling on the administration to commute federal death sentences and take further executive action to erode this racially biased, ineffective, error ridden, arbitrary, and irreversible punishment, that is the death penalty. The deadline to join this letter is Monday, February 1. Click here to add your org.

Over six months, the Trump administration executed 13 people, more than three times as many people than were executed by the federal government in the previous six decades. President Biden made clear that he will work to pass legislation to end the federal death penalty. While it will take legislation to abolish the federal death penalty, there are executive actions at the president’s disposal that could go along towards this end.

In addition to the calls for clemency for those under federal sentence of death, the attached letter calls on President Biden take further executive actions to, dismantle the federal death chamber, cease to seek any death sentences, withdraw authorization for pending death penalty cases, and issue a moratorium on federal executions. Please note this letter is for national organizations. To add your organization to this letter please complete this google form.

Feel free to email me at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Many thanks,

Krissy

Kristina Roth | Union Strong 

Senior Advocate

Criminal Justice Program

Amnesty International USA

600 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003

Tel: 202-509-8182; Mobile: 202-945-2021

[email protected]

@Krissy_Roth

Preferred pronouns: She/Her