We are calling upon you as leaders and policy makers in Utah to prohibit the imposition of the death penalty for any violation of Federal or State law, and for other purposes. As people of faith and/or conscience who live in Utah, we are committed to policies rooted in justice and grounded in the promise of redemption. While we come from varied backgrounds and political stances, we stand together against the state having the power or obligation to kill in the names of all who live here. Instead, we are motivated by the restorative power of love and investments in transformation.

We hold deep respect for victims and co-victims of crime, and we most certainly are not opposed to accountability for rightfully convicted persons. However, we believe that the death penalty serves no moral purpose and executions are not necessary to keep society safe or to hold accountable those who have committed horrible crimes. Instead, it is a hollow instrument of death that offers no redemption, no closure, and no transformation. The death penalty monopolizes human and financial resources that would be better spent if applied to the co-victims whose glaring list of needs often goes unmet, and to increased efforts to prevent violent crime.

Now is the time for Utah to rid itself of this outdated and immoral method of punishment. Institutionalized killing contributes to the brutalization of society. Such a final and heinous decision should not be left to the discretion of flawed humans and a broken system too flawed to fix. As people motivated by faith and/or sparked by profound love and/or concern for the common good, we are calling on you to stop executions in our State and to support and pass legislation to end executions in Utah forever.