Majority of Public Supports Alternatives to Capital Punishment

Death Penalty Support Eroding

t has been generally assumed that the overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens strongly insist upon the death penalty in response to murder. However, recent polls disclose just the opposite:

When given a choice between the death penalty or life imprisonment with no possibility of parole (LWOP), more respondents favor LWOP than capital punishment. Missouri law currently provides for only those two sentences for individuals convicted of 1st degree murder. Survey respondents show (when the option is presented) a strong preference for those convicted of murder receiving LWOP and paying restitution to the victims family rather than being sentenced to death by execution. Voters are generally unconcerned with how their lawmakers vote on death penalty legislation. A 2010 national poll found that among states with the death penalty, 62% of respondents said that, if their representative voted to repeal, it would either not affect or make them more likely to vote for him/her in an election. A 2004 poll of Missourians found 80% reporting that, if their lawmaker voted for an execution moratorium and death-penalty study bill, it would either not affect their vote or make them more likely to vote for that legislator. When given an option, surveys show the majority of voters favor ending the death penalty instead of cutting funding for law enforcement, education and other urgently needed services.

Vote for an Alternative!

Support HB 1520 to Repeal Missouris Death Penalty and Establish LWOP as the Harshest Punishment.

This flyer is part of a series prepared by Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. For more information contact MADP at 816-931-4177 or visit our website at www.madpmo.org.