Until I Could Be Sure: How I Stopped the Death Penalty in Illinois

In January 2000, Illinois Governor George Ryan declared a moratorium on executions, the first such action by any governor in the history of the United States. Three years later, he pardoned four death row inmates based on their actual innocence and commuted the death sentences of 167 men and women, the largest death row commutation in U.S. history. His actions breathed new life into the movement to abolish the death penalty in the United States, and over the next 15 years, Illinois and seven other states would abolish it. Today, the push to reform the criminal justice system has never been stronger, and the death penalty still exists in 31 states.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 05 August 2022
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

In January 2000, Illinois Governor George Ryan took a historic step by declaring a moratorium on executions, becoming the first governor in the United States to do so. Despite his previous support for the death penalty, Ryan's decision was deeply influenced by his emotional experience after witnessing an execution in 1999. He was also troubled by the state's history, which included 12 executions and 13 exonerations since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1977. It was discovered that more people had been wrongfully executed than had been put to death.

Three years later, in 2003, Ryan took a bold step forward by pardoning four death row inmates who were proven innocent. He then commuted the death sentences of 167 other individuals, making it the largest death row commutation in U.S. history. At that time, 12 states and the District of Columbia had already banned the death penalty. Ryan's actions breathed new life into the movement to abolish the death penalty in the United States.

Over the next 15 years, Illinois and seven other states would follow suit, abolishing the death penalty in New Jersey, Maryland, New Mexico, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, and Washington. Today, the push to reform the criminal justice system is stronger than ever in America, a nation that incarcerates more people than any other country and continues to wrongfully convict hundreds of individuals.

While the number of executions carried out annually in the U.S. has been declining, the death penalty remains legal in 31 states. Furthermore, in some non-death penalty states, factions are advocating for its reinstatement.

Until I Could Be Sure: How I Stopped the Death Penalty in Illinois is George Ryan's personal account of his journey from a proponent of the death penalty to an opponent. His story continues to resonate today, as he bravely defied political winds and faced the fury and agony of the families of the victims. Ryan's decision to abolish the death penalty in Illinois was a significant milestone in the fight against capital punishment, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations.

Weight: 417g
Dimension: 218 x 156 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538171714