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February 22, 2010
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Dear _____________,

I am writing this letter, along with thousands of other men and women imprisoned all across the country, to ask that your organization stop supporting the sentence of life without the possibility of parole as an acceptable "alternative" to the death penalty.

Life without the possibility of parole is the death penalty.

I know that many death penalty abolitionist groups believe that it is not politically viable to speak to stop all forms of the death penalty. I also know that many of these groups don't agree that life without parole is the death penalty, at all.

You are wrong on both counts.

Support for the death penalty continues to shrink. The public, more and more, are accepting the proposition that rehabilitation is a real possibility. Your support for life without parole is morally inconsistent and undermines your position. If executing humans is wrong, then condemning them to a long, slow death in prison must also be wrong. And yes, a long, slow death in prison is a death sentence. To argue otherwise is morally disingenuous, at best.

Why not adopt a true and complete opposition to the death penalty? Why not argue in favor of humanity? Why not move forward with the times and stop fighting with outdated positions?

On behalf of the more than 40,000 men and women sentenced to die by incarceration, I ask that you and your organization adopt a consistent opposition to all forms of the death penalty.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

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cc: The Other Death Penalty Project

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February 22, 2010
--------------------------
--------------------------
--------------------------

Dear _____________,

I am writing this letter, along with thousands of other men and women imprisoned all across the country, to ask that your organization stop supporting the sentence of life without the possibility of parole as an acceptable "alternative" to the death penalty.

Life without the possibility of parole is the death penalty.

I know that many death penalty abolitionist groups believe that it is not politically viable to speak to stop all forms of the death penalty. I also know that many of these groups don't agree that life without parole is the death penalty, at all.

You are wrong on both counts.

Support for the death penalty continues to shrink. The public, more and more, are accepting the proposition that rehabilitation is a real possibility. Your support for life without parole is morally inconsistent and undermines your position. If executing humans is wrong, then condemning them to a long, slow death in prison must also be wrong. And yes, a long, slow death in prison is a death sentence. To argue otherwise is morally disingenuous, at best.

Why not adopt a true and complete opposition to the death penalty? Why not argue in favor of humanity? Why not move forward with the times and stop fighting with outdated positions?

On behalf of the more than 40,000 men and women sentenced to die by incarceration, I ask that you and your organization adopt a consistent opposition to all forms of the death penalty.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

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cc: The Other Death Penalty Project