Carleigh Beriont

To the Honorable Chair and Members of the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, My name is Carleigh Beriont, and I live in Hampton, hometown of Renny Cushing, a beloved State Representative and Minority Leader in the State House when he passed away in March 2022. With deep admiration for Cushing's moral clarity, leadership, and commitment to justice, I write in the strongest possible opposition to the proposal to reinstate the death penalty in New Hampshire. This bill risks undoing one of our state’s most principled achievements: ending a system of punishment that is irreversible, prone to error, and deeply inhumane. Cushing, who lost both his father and brother-in-law to murder, spent his life advocating for a justice system guided by humanity rather than retribution. As he said, “Filling another coffin doesn’t do anything to bring our loved ones back. It just widens the circle of pain.” He understood—better than most—that the death penalty does not always offer closure or peace and too often intensifies suffering for families and communities. Bringing back the death penalty would not only discard his legacy, it would also ignore the realities expressed by so many survivors of violent crime who believe that justice is better served by stronger support for victims and communities, efforts at prevention, and the relentless pursuit of truth, not by state-sanctioned killing. To reinstate the death penalty would be to take New Hampshire backwards. I urge you to defend the progress we have made and honor Cushing's legacy by choosing compassion, accountability, and policies that respect life. Please reject this bill, and help build a justice system worthy of New Hampshire’s values and the memory of those who gave so much to make it better. Sincerely, Carleigh Beriont