Group Hoping To Abolish Death Penalty Making New Push

A Mississippi group working to abolish the death penalty is making a new push. MPB’s Stephen Koranda has more.

Members of Mississippians Educating for Smart Justice, known as MESJ, hope with a new administration in Washington, their chances of eliminating the death penalty are increasing. Jim Craig chairs the groups board.

“We’re looking at the education system anew; we’re looking at the economic system anew. And there’s no reason why we can’t also study the criminal justice system and see does it really meet the goals that we want it to meet?”

Some opponents of the death penalty argue it’s too costly, leaves room for error and can be unfairly administered. MESJ is holding a series of meetings this year focused on the issues, and they’re including people like Former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz (Dye-as), who spoke last night in Jackson.

“It doesn’t provide relief to anybody in the situation, because the family members are left to drag on and the condemned seem to sit on death row forever. It’s just an unworkable situation.”

Mississippi is one of 35 states that have the death penalty. Governor Haley Barbour believes most Mississippians would prefer to keep it that way.

“I don’t think there’s any appetite for changing it. I think Mississippians recognize that in certain cases the death penalty’s appropriate. If they’re any problem with the death penalty it takes so long for it to actually be implemented, and that ‘s largely federal law.”

Mississippi currently has 60 prisoners on death row. The state has carried out 6 executions since 2002.