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In April 2009, the Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly passed a bill that would put an end to the death penalty in Connecticut. House Bill 6578, passed the committee by a vote of 24-13. The ACLU-CT views the death penalty as the ultimate denial of civil liberties and especially troubling given the imperfections in our judicial system. In Connecticut, the likelihood of receiving this irreversible, cruel and unusual punishment is based more on race, financial standing, and the town where the accused lives rather than on the crime committed.
While last year's progress toward abolishing the death penalty is promising, there is still a lot of work to be done. As we build a statewide grassroots campaign to abolish the death penalty, the ACLU-CT has formed a coalition of organizations and people interested in putting an end to this cruel practice. The coalition meets regularly the ACLU-CT office.
The ACLU-CT still has a seat at the table for you. To join the coalition or suggest an organization that might want to join, e-mail aschneider@acluct.org. Together we can continue to raise the awareness needed to put an end to the death penalty in Connecticut.
To read the ACLU-CT testimony on ending the death penalty click here.
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