Judith Carr

Re-instating the death penalty in New Hampshire would be a step backward that does not make our communities safer, wastes taxpayer dollars, and risks irreversible injustice. Capital punishment is far more expensive than life without parole due to lengthy trials and appeals, diverting resources from proven public-safety strategies like prevention, victim services, and effective policing. It also carries the real risk of executing an innocent person, a mistake that cannot be undone. New Hampshire wisely repealed the death penalty in 2019, reflecting our state’s values of fairness, fiscal responsibility, and respect for life, and there is no evidence that bringing it back would deter violent crime more effectively than existing sentences.