“The moral justification I had for voting for the death penalty simply no longer exists…Therefore, I believe Ohio should abolish the death penalty. The Legislature can take this action, and I believe they should take this action.”
Speaking from prepared remarks on Tuesday, June 16, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine made a powerful statement opposing further use of the death penalty and asking his state legislature to abolish it in his state.
DeWine not only sought the death penalty in his prior role as a prosecutor, he was directly involved in crafting the 1981 state law that reinstated Ohio’s death penalty statute. In his speech, however, DeWine directly addressed that history, saying that while he once believed the death penalty served as a deterrent to crime and served the public interest, he no longer believes that to be true.
Putting it simply, DeWine said that “The moral justification I had for voting for the death penalty simply no longer exists.” He quoted Reginald Wilkinson, former head of the state’s Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (DRC), who stated that the bulk of research and analysis shows the death penalty is not a deterrent to crime.
In his address, Governor DeWine spoke of the emotional toll and trauma he has seen the death penalty impose on the families of violent crime victims and on the prison staff charged with caring for and then facilitating the execution of people sent to death row.
Regarding the family members of victims, DeWine spoke of the lengthy appeals process and how it subjects survivors to decades of uncertainty. He pointed out that in the last ten executions in Ohio, the average time between sentencing and execution was 21 years.
DeWine rejected suggestions that the appeals process should be shortened. Speaking with The Guardian, Robin Maher from the Death Penalty Information Center pointed out the frequency with which death sentences are later overturned. “A lot of people think the response is to shorten the time between sentence and execution, but then we see how many times we get it wrong… When we take the time to thoughtfully review these cases, as we should, we find errors. And that takes time, and a lot of money.”
Governor DeWine also observed how some victims’ families oppose the death penalty for various reasons, and do not wish to see the perpetrator executed.
Regarding the impact on prison staff, DeWine quoted former DRC Director Gary Mohr, who supervised 15 executions between 2011 and 2018. “The heaviness felt by the execution team and by the support staff is indescribable.”
DeWine went into detail about the relationship staff develop with people on death row, and the terrible experience of preparing them for and then carrying out their execution.
In concluding his argument, the governor stated his conclusion clearly: “It is impossible [emphasis his] to make the case that the death penalty is a deterrent.”
Our partner in Ohio, Ohioans to Stop Executions (OTSE), acted swiftly in the wake of Governor DeWine’s announcement. They are calling on supporters in Ohio to take three actions:
- Sign a petition/letter showing support for abolition;
- Write a letter to Governor DeWine (handwritten or typed);
- Email Ohio legislators to support death penalty repeal.
Bills abolishing the death penalty have been pending in the Ohio legislature for several years. Ohioans to Stop Executions has gathered a bipartisan base of supporters and co-sponsors, but more action is needed for the bill to move.
On June 18, OTSE Executive Director Kevin Werner spoke with WOSU and NPR on their Snollygoster Podcast, discussing the governor’s statement and the current state of the death penalty in Ohio. You can listen to that interview here.
