Position of the UUA on the Death Penalty
In 1961, the UUA announced one of it’s first perspectives on Death Penalty reform with its passage of 1961 General Resolution on Capital Punishinment.
WHEREAS, respect for the value of every human life must be incorporated into our laws if it is to be observed by our people; andWHEREAS, modern justice should concern itself with rehabilitation, not retribution; and
WHEREAS, it has not been proved that fear of capital punishment is a deterrent to crime; and
WHEREAS, human judgements are not infallible, and no penalty should be used which cannot be revoked in case of error; and
WHEREAS, capital punishment has not always been used impartially among all economic and racial groups in America;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Unitarian Universalist Association urges its churches and fellowships in the United States and Canada to exert all reasonable efforts toward the elimination of capital punishment; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That copies of this resolution be sent to the Governors of all states in which capital punishment has not yet been eliminated, and to the Canadian Minister of Justice.
In 1974 . . .
BE IT RESOLVED: That the 1974 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association continues to oppose the death penalty in the United States and Canada, and urges all Unitarian Universalists and their local churches and fellowships to oppose any attempts to restore or continue it in any form.
Washington State Status
In April 2023, Governor Jay Inslee signed SB5087 which formally abolished capital punishment in Washington State and removed provisions for capital punishment from state law.
What you can do
Educate –
There are extensive studies exploring effectiveness and justice issues with the death penalty. See the following explanations:
Organize –
- Encourage study groups at UU congregations to discern best practices in criminal justice.
- Encourage our Senators and Representatives to sponsor a bill that will correct this racist, poverty-driven practice nationally.
Activate –
- Host discussions and forums that raise awareness of the dynamics of the death penalty and patterns of imposition nationally.
- Request our ministers to address how UU values fit with the continuing practice of capital punishment.
- Coordinate with other faith community members to raise this issue via panels, forums, and demonstrations of conscience.
- Support legal efforts to abolish the death penalty in the courts.