Death Penalty in NH

Death Penalty in NH

Amnesty International is committed to ending the death penalty in the state of New Hampshire. AI USA has designated New Hampshire as 1 of 3 priority states to focus our abolition work. As part of the The New Hampshire Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty we are expanding our outreach and advocacy to support the hope of putting an end to the death penalty.

NH State Legislature This year, 2009, there have been two bills before the NH state legislature relevant to the death penalty: HB556 - 'repealing the death penalty.' The bill passed the House. Soon after, Gov. Lynch said he would veto the bill if it also passed the Senate. Finally, the bill was 'tabled' in the Senate. HB520 - 'establishing a commission to study the death penalty in New Hampshire.' The bill passed the House and the Senate and was signed into law by the Governor. The first Organizational meeting of the commission is scheduled for October 21, 2009 at 10:00 am in Room 306-308 of the Legislative Office Building (LOB) just behind the State House in Concord. For more info about the bills, the study commission (members, schedule, ...) go to http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/


	What can you do? Stay informed! Attend events! Join the NH Coalition! Join the New Hampshire Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Help strategizing on viable steps we can take to abolish the death penalty now And sign up to receive updates regarding pending legislation on the death penalty in NH www.nodeathpenaltynh.org NHCADP Vigil Friday, November 13, 2009 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm State House, Main St., Concord, NH The NHCADP will be holding vigils against the death penalty on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. Please come when you are able and stay for as long as you can.

Death Penalty in the US

Amnesty International has the Abolition of the Death Penalty as one of its Priorities;

furthermore AI USA has chosen three states as priority states for the campaign, New Hampshire being one of the three.

For information about Amnesty's Death Penalty Abolition Campaign, go to

http://www.amnestyusa.org/

and under Our Priorities, click Death Penalty.

Besides the human rights principles, there are many practical reasons for not using the death penalty. For much good information on this, from the death penalty web page, under Resources, click Fact Sheets for a .pdf file; or near the bottom of the web page, click Death Penalty Facts. Either way, you'll see lots of compelling data on the flaws and failings of the death penalty in practice and other relevant information.

One major flaw is the execution of the innocent.

For a special ongoing campaign for Troy Davis, find links from the Death Penalty web page.

International Law

What is the status of the death penalty in international law and treaties?

What nations have the death penalty and which use it?

How is the United States viewed with regard to the death penalty?

Go to both the AI website:

http://www.amnesty.org/en/death-penalty/international-law

and the AI USA website:

http://www.amnestyusa.org/death-penalty/death-penalty-facts/death-penalty-and-human-rights-standards/page.do?id=1101089

and

http://www.amnestyusa.org/death-penalty/death-penalty-facts/death-penalty-trends/page.do?id=1011572

Amnesty International - New Hampshire

amnestynh@verizon.net

NH Area Coordinator - Allison Hallissey 978-454-0661