• Press Release

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Intellectually Impaired Prisoner on Death Row

March 28, 2017

The Supreme Court has determined that the state of Texas did not adhere to up-to-date medical and scientific standards when it determined that a prisoner was mentally competent to be executed. James Clark, death penalty campaigner with Amnesty International USA, issued the following statement:

“This case showed the egregiously arbitrary way in which the death penalty is applied, which is why it should be abolished completely. While this decision will provide more protection to people with intellectual disabilities, the capital punishment system is irrevocably broken and has no place in the criminal justice system. This cruel and inhuman practice should be ended once and for all.”