We, the Dominican Sisters of Hope, declare our opposition to the death penalty. We do not believe it is a means for dispensing justice or a deterrent to future criminal acts.

We attest that individual action is good and indispensable, but it is not adequate to the challenge of world issues which involve human rights. We corporately take this stance, choosing life over death, because of our belief in the dignity of the human person and our belief in the possibility of individual transformation.

We are conscious that this stance is made in the 25th anniversary year of the reinstatement of the death penalty in the United States.

As women of faith, we give our lives to imitating the compassion of Jesus whose forgiveness instilled hope into the lives of the people he encountered. Although we grieve with those who have lost loved ones through violence, we refuse to give momentum to the rhythm of revenge.