Calling racial bias in the administration of the death penalty “an undisputed fact,” the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL), a group of 320 Hispanic legislators, has passed a resolution urging legislative action in all state and federal jurisdictions to repeal the death penalty across the United States. The legislators note that the criminal justice system subjects “Black, Latino, Native Americans, and all people of color” to more punitive treatment, including being “more likely to be sentenced to death.” The resolution highlights racial inequities that occur at several key stages of capital cases. Citing studies that “white juries are more likely to sentence a Latino defendant to death,” it also stresses that “racial bias extends beyond who is sentenced to death,” as the mostly white prosecutors who have authority to make life and decisions in capital cases disproportionately seek death in cases involving white victims. The resolution points out that “every single one” of the ten counties with the largest death row populations in the United States “has large or majority Latino populations,” magnifying the impact of capital punishment policies on the Hispanic community. NHCSL President and Pennsylvania State Representative Ángel Cruz said, “We cannot allow more government dollars to be diverted to killing people, instead of investing them in prevention, rehabilitation, and effective crime fighting measures that ensure greater safety in our communities. We therefore call on the federal government and every other jurisdiction in this country to end a senseless policy and end the death penalty now.” Referencing the high cost of capital punishment, the resolution proposes alternative uses for those tax dollars: “repeal of the death penalty will free up millions of tax dollars trapped in cash-strapped state budgets that could be redirected to violence prevention, combatting implicit bias, or supporting victims of violence in Latino communities.” Colorado Representative Dan Pabón, co-sponsor of the resolution, said, “This is the civil rights issue of our time. Even if repealing the death penalty results in one innocent life being saved, it’s worth it. Our criminal justice system should focus on ‘justice.’ ”
(A. Quijano, “Resolution Supporting Repeal of the Death Penalty,” National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, August 11, 2016; Press Release, “Hispanic Legislators Call for Repeal of Death Penalty,” National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, August 30, 2016.) See New Voices and Race.
