John, 

The evidence that the death penalty is a policy failure continued to mount in 2023. 

Only five states carried out any executions, and only seven sentenced anyone to death. Meanwhile, Arizona became the latest state to halt executions.

More and more Americans are questioning a system that puts innocent lives at risk, fails victims’ families, and wastes taxpayer money. According to a recent national poll, a majority of Americans believe that the death penalty is applied unfairly.

But shifting public opinion alone won’t end this disastrous public policy. That’s why Conservatives Concerned works to build upon this momentum by educating, organizing, and mobilizing conservatives to end capital punishment. 

In 2023, we launched a new chapter in Texas, joined Republican state lawmakers and other leaders to call for a moratorium in Oklahoma, advocated at state capitals across the country, and presented at events like FreedomFest, Young Americans for Liberty's Revolution 2023, and the Christian Community Development Association’s annual conference.

This year we also learned and grew. We traveled to Montgomery with partners from several states, and our visit to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Legacy Museum pushed us all to reckon with the links between slavery, lynching, segregation, mass incarceration, and the death penalty. We learned about trauma and policing, joined state and national partners in conversation, and spoke out against the racism at the core of the death penalty. We have so much more in store, and so much more to do. 

None of this would be possible without people like you. Thank you.

With campaigns in several states heating up and both new opportunities and challenges ahead, your continued support will remain vital in the coming year.

With gratitude,

Demetrius & Nicholas