The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP) is a large organization dedicated to the abolition of the death penalty in the United States. Founded in 1976 (the same year the death penalty was reinstated by the Supreme Court of the United States) by Henry Schwarzschild, the NCADP is the only fully staffed nationwide organization in the United States dedicated to the total abolition of the death penalty. It also provides extensive information regarding imminent and past executions, death penalty defendants, numbers of people executed in the U.S., as well as a detailed breakdown of the current death row population, and a list of which U.S. state and federal jurisdictions use the death penalty.
Mission
NCADP works to abolish the death penalty in the United States and supports efforts to abolish the death penalty worldwide.
Objectives
Providing education and outreach to state and local affiliates is a key priority for the national office. NCADP works with state and local affiliates on campaign strategies, national and state specific reports on critical issues for policy makers, media support, networking and coalition building, technical assistance and training for volunteers. Additionally, NCADP holds annual conferences and training for staff and volunteers.
Principles
NCADP is dedicated to the abolition of the death penalty. Below are some of the reasons the organization believes in this doctrine:
Executions are carried out at a high cost to tax payers
Capital punishment does not deter crime
States cannot prevent execution of innocent people
Race plays a role in who lives and dies
Capital punishment is applied arbitrarily
The United States keeps company with the top human rights abusers as a country that employs executions Poor legal representation is a persistent problem Life without parole is an appropriate alternative to capital punishment Capital punishment goes against almost every major religion Millions of dollars could be diverted to helping the families of murder victims
Tactics
The NCADP uses a number of non-violent methods to draw attention to, and advance, their campaign at local, state and national levels:
Promotion of anti-death penalty legislation and pressuring state legislators for abolition or moratorium bills through letter writing and campaigning. Using local and state media to disseminate information about the death penalty. Using their numerous links with like-minded organizations to speak and act against the death penalty. Networking with these organizations on campaigns. Hosting annual conferences to promote networking among members and like-minded organizations. Incorporating social networking sites to foster networking and facilitate coordination of activity in local communities. Focusing on the human rights violations which are widely thought to be inherent in the death penalty. Selling anti-death penalty clothing, bumper stickers, and pins to promote campaign ideals.
Affiliate organizations
The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
The Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP) is a grassroots Texas organization that works to end the death penalty. TCADP is an affiliate of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and the World Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. TCADP is composed of human rights activists; death row prisoners and their families; crime victims and their families; persons working within the criminal justice system; and citizens in opposition to the death penalty.
New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty
The New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty (NM Repeal) was developed in 1997; it is a grassroots organization to abolish the death penalty. The main focus of the NM Repeal is to abolish the death penalty and replace it with the sentencing of life without the possibility of parole. The NM Repeal is founded on six principles: Victims' Families first, Innocence, Fairness, Cost, Deterrence, and International. These principles are the justification given to other people for education as to why individuals should support "repeal" of capital punishment. The organization educates the community on the effects of the death penalty on victims and their families, as well as on convicts and their families.