Governor Josh Shapiro is taking a step forward in what he considers criminal justice reform by announcing his opposition to the death penalty.
In a meeting with community leaders in Philadelphia earlier this week Shapiro announced that he will not issue any execution warrants during his term.
Shapiro explains how his thoughts on this topic have changed since beginning his term as Pennsylvania’s Attorney General.
“The system fallible and the outcome is irreversible. I have painstakingly considered every aspect of Pennsylvania’s capital sentencing system. Reflected on my own conscience and weighed the tremendous responsibilities I have as governor,” Shapiro said.
Governor Tom Wolf also did not issue any executions during his two terms as governor. Since the death penalty was enacted in 1976, there have only been three executions in Pennsylvania.
Shapiro also encouraged state lawmakers to study the flaws in the current death penalty system and ultimately abolish it altogether.
