USA - California. Coalition Including Victims' Families and Law Enforcement Officials Launches Death Penalty Repeal Initiative.

Coalition Including Victims' Families and Law Enforcement Officials Launches Death Penalty Repeal Initiative. A broad range of citizens in California launched a signature campaign today to replace the death penalty with life in prison and no parole through a ballot initiative in November 2012. The signature drive was announced at the city hall in San Francisco and was attended by murder victims' families and law enforcement officials, such as San Francisco Sheriff Michael Hennessey, who support the measure. Hennessey cited a study released last June (see June 19, 2011) showing that California has sent $4 billion on the death penalty since it was restored in 1977. The ballot initiative is called the Savings, Accountability and Full Enforcement (SAFE) for California Act, and the campaign must gather 504,000 voter signatures in order to qualify for the election. Natasha Minsker, statewide manager for the campaign, said, "Californians are ready for the SAFE California Act because now they realize we have wasted literally billions of dollars on a failed death penalty system. It's time to take our resources and put them instead toward public safety." The initiative directs funds saved to go to victims' families and to improve law enforcement. California has not had an execution since 2006.