At our working meeting on May 18, Alice Smith, Co-Chair of our club, spoke about her work with the ACLU on the Santa Clara County Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, which is focusing on reducing the incidence of prosecutors seeking the death penalty. They are lobbying district attorneys and politicians and trying to get group endorsements. Alice noted that it costs $1.25 million a year to have someone on death row; appeals can last 18-20 years. In five years, California would save $1 billion if the death penalty were eliminated. There are 640 men and 5 women on death row in California now. There is no evidence that the death penalty provides a deterrent, and studies have shown that students in grades as low as fourth can be assessed to determine who will eventually go to prison.
After Alice's presentation, members unanimously approved a motion for the Dean Democratic Club to join the Santa Clara County Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Marcene Van Dierendonck volunteered to represent the club in the coalition.
