NEW VOICES: Former Ohio Corrections Director Calls for Ending Death Penalty

Reggie Wilkinson, who witnessed 19 executions during his 33 years with the Ohio Department of Corrections, recently stated that he would like to see executions ended in the state. Wilkinson, who served for 15 years as Director of the Department of Corrections and advocated for abandoning the state’s electric chair and replacing it with lethal injection, noted, “I would not oppose the abolition of the death penalty. The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world with the death penalty - on the books in 38 states… . It’s not so much related to morality as it is related to the administration of justice. To quote an over-used saying, ‘Why should you kill people who kill people to show that killing is wrong?’” He added that the death penalty does not deter murders and it does not save taxpayer dollars, given the costly supervision needed on death row and the lengthy court appeals. (Dayton Daily News, January 15, 2007). See New Voices. See also Deterrence and Costs.