Death Penalty v. Public Safety Jobs: Recap of Community Forum in Hayward

On a warm and quiet Thursday evening in September, Reverend John Wichman graciously opened his parish doors to community members, local organizations, and parishioners concerned that the death penalty is wasting valuable community resources that could otherwise be devoted to public safety.  The event sponsored by The Alameda County Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, featured panelists Ray Samuels, Darryl Stallworth, TC Wilson, and Natasha Minsker.  Each panelist shared their experiences with and perspectives on the death penalty.  After offering both their personal and professional stories, the panelists engaged the audience in a discussion of the glaring flaws that exist in the criminal justice system which overflow into the administration of the death penalty.  

Former prosecutor, Darryl Stallworth, began the evening telling the story of his transformation from a Deputy District Attorney in Alameda County with little regard for the death penalty to an outspoken, compassionate opponent of the capital punishment system.   The death penalty first became a part of Mr. Stallworth’s professional life when former Alameda District Attorney Tom Orloff came into his office one day with a hot new capital case.  This case turned out to be Mr. Stallworth’s first and only death penalty case. The knowledge he gained through the ordeal eventually compelled him to leave his position at the district attorney’s office and to advocate for replacing the death penalty with permanent imprisonment.

The second speaker, Ray Samuels, devoted 33 years of his life to protecting our communities as a police officer, serving ultimately as the former Chief of Police of Newark.  Chief Samuels stated that he is tough on crime but does not support the death penalty.  His experiences working in law enforcement have taught him that police officers, just like other human beings, are not immune from making mistakes.  Chief  Samuels continued by acknowledging that mistakes are also made in the administration of the death penalty, but unlike other mistakes, these cannot be undone.  He spoke openly and frankly about the need for more accountability and transparency in our law enforcement system but even then, mistakes, while minimized, are still possible and the death penalty does not belong in such a system.  

Our third speaker, Mr. TC Wilson, brought to the audience a broad perspective on the death penalty.  First, he shared with the audience how the death penalty came into his life in his role as a Baptist minister.  A family in his congregation came to Mr. Wilson asking for his counsel as they dealt with the grief and horror of the impeding execution of their son in Texas.  He counseled the family and their incarcerated son until the very end.  Second, Mr. Wilson shard his own experience as someone who had lost family members to murder. Third, Mr. Wilson made connections between the death penalty and his professional life as Director of Social Justice for the Alameda Labor Council.  He commented on the importance of funding public safety jobs, as they are the crux of keeping communities connected and safe.  He communicated to the audience that the death penalty is a façade that makes us think we live in a safe community when in reality  it drains money from the very jobs that ultimately supply our vital social sate net.    

Finally, Natasha Minsker, Death Penalty Policy Director at the ACLU of Northern California, told the story of Cameron Todd Willingham – an innocent man that was executed in Texas in 2004.  She brought the conversation back to Mr. Samuels’s point that law enforcement make mistakes and the death penalty is a mistake you cannot take back.  Ms. Minsker finished with a call to action, passing out pledge cards to the audience asking them to pledge to: 1) get a resolution passed, 2) organize an education forum, 3) send a letter to the editor, 4) gather petition signatures 5) speak to community leaders, and 6) tell 3 friends.  

Following the panel discussion, as members filled out their pledge cards, engaged with the speakers, and nibbled on the last bits of cookies, it was evident that the audience shared an enthusiasm for the work this cause entails.