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Coloradans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (CADP), formerly Coloradans Against the Death Penalty, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making our justice system more effective by establishing smart alternatives that abolish capital punishment. We are concerned citizens, religious leaders, political leaders, criminal defense lawyers, and relatives of murder victims. Subscribe today to our free e-mail list.

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CADP Sponsors Events with Death Row Exoneree Juan Melendez

Drsth row exoneree Juan Melendez speaks

On January 3, 2002, Juan Roberto Melendez, an innocent man, was released from Florida's death row after 17 years, eight months and one day. During February 2010, Juan will be speaking in Colorado, sponsored by CADP.

Please join us to hear Juan speak about his experience on Florida's death row. Then you decide if the death penalty is worth executing even one innocent person. (2/4/10, CADP)

Juan Melendez will be speaking at these CADP events:


Texas Inmate Facing Execution Denied DNA Testing

Henry Skinner is scheduled for execution in Texas on February 24 despite the lack of DNA testing of critical evidence from the crime scene that could lead to his exoneration. ... The state has repeatedly refused his request to test other evidence, including material found on the victim, that could point to another suspect. In addition, an investigation by journalism students from Northwestern University in 1999 and 2000 revealed that a key witness from the trial had recanted her testimony linking Skinner to the crime. Texas has already executed a number of individuals who may have been innocent, leaving a cloud of doubt on the fairness of the criminal justice system. By conducting relatively routine DNA tests before his execution, the doubts surrounding Skinner's case could be resolved one way or the other. (2/8/10, DPIC Update)


Debating the Cost of Capital Punishment

As cash-strapped states consider the high cost of sentencing prisoners to death, capital punishment has fallen on hard times. In New Mexico, which voted to abolish the death penalty last year, State Rep. Gail Chasey (D., Albuquerque) specifically noted the tax dollars that would be saved. “We can put that money toward enhancing law enforcement, public works, you name it,” she said. In 2009, 10 other states considered ending capital punishment. In New Jersey, which halted executions in 2007, a commission found that switching a single condemned inmate’s sentence to life without parole would save the state $1.3 million in incarceration costs alone, because death-row inmates receive special housing and security. Repealing the death penalty in North Carolina, where 169 prisoners are on death row, could save that state $11 million a year in incarceration costs and legal fees associated with the extensive appeals process, according to a study published in American Law and Economics Review in December. (1/31/10, Parade Magazine)


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Order CADP T-Shirts Today

Make a social and fashion statement - while helping Coloradans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Wear a striking, high-quality t-shirt that displays an important educational message. Visit the CADP online store.


CADP Benefit Concert Held January 16th

A lively, well-attended benefit concert was held January 16, 2010 to raise money and awareness to help Coloradans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. The Saturday night concert at the Mercury Cafe in downtown Denver featured Phoenix Rising, a band made up of local attorneys and people from the legal community. In addition to a strong rhythm section, the band was comprised of horns and backup singers. Music included classic R&B, a segment of jaunty New Orleans tunes, and lots of familar grooves that kept the large crowd of all ages coming back to the dance floor. A silent auction rounded out the CADP benefit. (1/19/10, CADP)


Conservative Leaders Call for End to Death Penalty

Roy Brown, state senator and 2008 Republican nominee for governor of Montana, said that opposition to capital punishment aligns well with his conservative ideology. He is reaching out to social and fiscal conservatives, hoping to create a bipartisan movement against capital punishment. Brown noted, "I believe that life is precious from the womb to a natural death." He continued, "Criminals should be prosecuted. I want it to be life without parole. In the long run, that's much cheaper." (2/1/10, DPIC Update)


CADP Changes its Name to Reflect Current Mission

In late 2009, CADP officially changed its name to Coloradans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. CADP did this to help engage a larger percentage of Colorado's population. CADP wants to be "for" something, rather than "against." CADP also felt that being "for alternatives" was more descriptive of its current mission. With the name change, CADP sends the message that the organization is open to dialogue surrounding the issues of capital punishment - and especially that CADP stands for an improved, more fair, and more effective justice system. While transitioning to the new name, the older group name will still show in historic pages and references throughout this Web site. (12/26/09, CADP)


Take Action

Get involved - see CADP's suggested actions against the death penalty

Members of CADP are also available to speak to your group about the death penalty, or its effect on victims. To arrange for a free speaker, e-mail info@coadp.org

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

-- Oscar Wilde


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Join CADP or make a donation today to support CADP. Help us educate the public, lobby for bills, and work to abolish the death penalty in Colorado. You can donate securely online - just click the Donate to CADP button.


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