It’s been exactly one month since Louisiana put a man to death.
Jessie Hoffman was the first death row execution in the state in 15 years. Not only was Hoffman’s death by nitrogen gas suffocation cruel; it has done nothing to deter violence in the state. In fact, in the four weeks since his execution, headlines in cities across Louisiana have been riddled with stories of crime.
Governor Jeff Landry told a reporter in the days leading up to Hoffman’s death that executions are necessary to fulfill a “contractual promise” to crime victims, but what about the contractual promise to constituents to keep their communities safe?
If the goal is community safety, it is clear that state-sanctioned death does nothing to advance it. The death penalty does not deter violence, heal survivors, or facilitate long-term community safety.
Solutions like Community Violence Intervention (CVI), mental health support, youth diversion initiatives, programs that heal trauma, and other preventative measures have proven to be effective deterrents to crime.
I have been part of the violence prevention movement in Louisiana for more than a decade. As a Baton Rouge Street Team member, I’ve personally gone to homicide scenes to console families. I’ve witnessed first-hand the hunger and desperation in our communities for investment in tangible solutions to violence that facilitate safety. Today, I help lead the statewide violence reduction coalition.
Proponents of the death penalty claim that executions provide “closure” to families. First, I want to acknowledge that there is never closure after a loved one is killed; there is support and a pathway to healing, but the death penalty delivers neither.
Andy Elliot, the husband of Molly Elliot, the victim in Hoffman’s case, acknowledged that putting Hoffman to death “will not provide closure” and that it has forced his family to “relive the past tragedy.”, Yet, the state proceeded with the execution anyway, as if it would somehow help the Elliot family.
Brett Malone is another survivor who has called out the false promise of capital punishment. His mother was murdered, and he actively rejects the death penalty, explaining that it doesn’t represent his values or foster community well-being. Malone, instead, believes in restorative justice.
Redirecting funds from the death penalty into areas like education, mental health support, youth programs, and job training is more effective at reducing crime in the long term. Prevention of violence must also include addressing issues such as poverty, lack of opportunity, and racial inequities—all of which the criminal legal system is steeped in.
The death penalty is also extremely costly. A 2019 study found that Louisiana has spent more than $200 million on its death-penalty system over the last 15 years, resulting in a single execution of a man who gave up his appeals. Imagine how far $200 million would’ve gone in truly serving communities had it not been wasted on putting a man to death.
Capital punishment also perpetuates the idea that killing can solve problems, which is a dangerous and highly flawed theory that we must move away from.
I am encouraged that the Louisiana Supreme Court last week halted the execution warrants of two men on death row, but I know through recent and past experience that a temporary stay is just that in most cases: temporary.
Governor Landry and other Louisiana lawmakers must seriously assess the needs of people in this state and invest in community violence prevention methods if their goal is truly to keep their constituents safe. They have the power and responsibility to end state-sanctioned death permanently and reinvest in solutions that will make all of our lives and communities better.
