Death Penalty Focus

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Founded in 1988, Death Penalty Focus is a non-profit organization dedicated to the abolition of capital punishment through grassroots organizing, research, and the dissemination of information about the death penalty and its alternatives.

With over 10,000 members nationwide, Death Penalty Focus is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of renowned political, religious, and civic leaders, along with legal scholars and attorneys involved in death penalty litigation. The President of Death Penalty Focus is actor and activist Mike Farrell. In addition, DPF has an Advisory Board comprised of community and religious leaders, celebrities, writers, and representatives of labor and human rights organizations who support anti-death penalty work. DPF conducts research on behalf of lawyers, educators, and the general public, and sponsors a variety of public education and media campaigns. DPF also serves as a support network for our ten chapters throughout California and as a liaison among anti-death penalty groups nationwide.

DPF believes that the death penalty is an ineffective and brutally simplistic response to the serious and complex problem of violent crime. By diverting attention and financial resources away from preventative measures that would actually increase personal safety, the death penalty causes more violence in society. DPF is convinced that when the public is informed about the inherent racism, injustice, and the true human and financial cost associated with the death penalty, the United States will join the growing community of nations throughout the world who have already abolished capital punishment.