Write your Representatives about the NC Racial Justice Act

Copy the text below and paste it into an email for the Legislators who represent your district.  

Dear [Decision Maker],

I am writing to urge your support for the NC Racial Justice Act, House Bill 472 and Senate Bill 461.  It is a well-documented fact that race continues to play an undeniable role in North Carolina's use of the death penalty.  The race of the victim is one of the most significant factors related to a defendant's likelihood of receiving a death sentence vs. life in prison without the possibility of parole. Persons of color are often excluded by prosecutors from Capital juries and many of the African-Americans on NC's Death Row were sentenced by all white juries.

The "NC Racial Justice Act", House Bill 472 and Senate Bill 461, seeks to address these racial disparities in NC's capital punishment system.   Under the RJA, a defendant would be allowed to present factual evidence to support his or her claim that a sentence of death was improperly obtained on the basis of race.  If a defendant is successful in establishing this claim, a court could impose a sentence of life without parole instead of death.

Race should never be a factor when considering a punishment as irreversible as a death sentence. I urge your support for the NC Racial Justice Act.  

Sincerely,

Your Name

Action Items: 

• 5/6/09-5/7/09 Please call your senator and urge them to vocally support the NC Racial Justice Act! Click here for contact information. 

To send an email to the Senator and Representative from your district, please use the addresses provided on the County Map on this site.  Alternatively, if you would like to send a message that is viewable by all Legislators, use the addresses listed below. 

Please refer to the bill number or issue in the subject of your email.

internete-mail@ncleg.net (readable by all Legislators

ncsenatemembers@ncleg.net (readable by all Senators)

nchousemembers@ncleg.net (readable by all House Members)