Let your legislator know that you want to see the end of executions in Ohio!


Tips on writing an effective letter:

  • Let your Representative/Senator know why they should care! Tell them you’re a constituent, if you donated to their campaign, or if you’ve ever met them.
  • Explain your concerns and the reasons behind them. Try to substantiate your opinion with facts and figures. (Check out our publications or facts pages for a quick reference.)
  • Always come back to the Task Force. Stress that the Task Force was appointed by the Supreme Court and that it was a neutral body assigned to make recommendations. We need legislators to understand that the Task Force wasn’t a smoke screen for the anti-death penalty movement.
  • Encourage them to read the recommendations and highlight that nothing in the report is new– every single recommendation is already law in another death penalty state! The goal is to make legislators feel safe advocating for these reforms.
  • Let them know that they have your vote in the next election, especially if they support these reforms.

Sample letter:

Dear Representative X/Senator X,

My name is ___________________. I’m writing you today, as one of your constituents, to tell
you about the concerns I have about wrongful convictions and Ohio’s death penalty.
I recently learned that six innocent men have been exonerated from Ohio’s death row. I can’t
believe we almost executed an innocent person.

In any government program, mistakes will be made and procedures will fail. There’s nothing we
can do to prevent mistakes because we’re human. Yet the great thing about our government is
its ability to correct mistakes and become a stronger system.

However, with the death penalty, there is a finality that makes it impossible for our government
to go back and correct a mistake. With six nearly fatal errors already, I am very concerned that
Ohio may kill an innocent person.

A 2007 report from the American Bar Association found that Ohio fell short in 93% of the
standards for an “ideal” capital punishment system. In response, the Supreme Court of Ohio
commissioned a Task Force to examine those shortcomings.

Soon, the recommendations from that Task Force will be published. I urge you to carefully
consider these recommendations. Although I believe that repeal is the only answer, these
recommendations will make the death penalty a little less error-prone before it’s ultimately done
away with.

Thank you for your service to our community. I know I can trust you to do what’s best for Ohio.

Sincerely,

Your Name

 

Locate your legislator:

  • Find out who your state Senator is here

  • Find out who your state Representative is here