Our packed prisons are starting to disgorge hundreds of mostly African-America men who, over the last few decades, we wrongly convicted of violent crimes. This is what it's like to spend nearly thirty years in prison for something you didn't do. This is what it's like to spend nearly thirty years as someone you aren't. And for Ray Towler, this is what it's like to be free.
Does the government have the right to take the life of one of its citizens? For the first time, the Canadian government says no. After a decade of fierce debate and an impassioned, last-minute speech by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the House of Commons narrowly passes Bill C-84, abolishing the death penalty in Canada.
Since that time Canada has supported the abolition of capital punishment both at home and abroad. In a reversal of that abolitionist policy the Canadian government recently announced it will no longer be seeking clemency for Canadian Ronald Smith who faces the death penalty in Montana . Also, our government will no longer be co-sponsoring the UN resolution for worldwide abolition. These policy changes were done without the consent of Parliament or input from Canadians.
The Bush administration is preparing to speed up the executions of criminals who are on death row across the United States, in effect, cutting out several layers of appeals in the federal courts so that prisoners can be 'fast-tracked' to their deaths.Do they not find the fact below even the slightest bit disconcerting?
To date, 123 prisoners sentenced to die have been proved innocent and released. Anti-death penalty activists and lawyers have raised serious doubts about hundreds of others.
