KENTUCKY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
———.__ COALITION to CONTACTS:
ABOLISH the Donald Vish, 502 299 0155 (cell), donaldvish@att.net
Director, Outreach, Education, and Advocacy
DEATH Ben Griffith, Frankfort KY, beng347@aol.com
PENALTY
March 9, 2011
Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Reacts
to Illinois Law Abolishing Capital Punishment
Illinois governor Pat Quinn (D) has signed into law a bill that abolishes the death penalty and
uses the money saved to support victims’ families and assist law enforcement. Upon receipt of
the bill in January, Governor Quinn's reaffirmed his support for capital punishment when prop-
erly applied but is quoted as saying, "I think it's important, given the importance of this meas-
ure, that people from all over Illinois express their opinions, I'm happy to listen and reflect, and
I'll follow my conscience.”
The Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death (KCADP) Penalty sent a staff member to Illinois
in November to help with an informational campaign among legislators. KCADP officials re-
acted to Governor Quinn’s action today.
“For the second time since 2008, a governor that supports the death penalty in principle has
turned against it in practice by signing a bill abolishing it, remarked Don Vish, KCADP’s direc-
tor of Advocacy, Education and Outreach. “The system is broken, risky and unfair and other
adequate retributive penalties exists to protect society from the worst of the worst.”
Ben Griffith, a KCADP Board Member whose brother was murdered, said: “Families and survi-
vors of murder victims like me salute the Illinois legislature and the governor for getting rid of
the death penalty. Capital punishment adds to the pain and suffering of the family and friends of
murder victims and feeds only hate, anger and revenge.”
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PO BOX 3092 « LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY 40201
502 636 1330 = staff@kcadp.org » www.kcadp.org
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