Louisiana Upholds System that Kills Black People, Innocent People, and Intellectually Disabled People

Today, after a series of maneuvers, the Board of Pardons and Parole and a group of DAs along with Attorney General Jeff Landry hijacked a legitimate clemency process to uphold Louisiana’s system that significantly and disproportionately kills black people, people who are innocent, and people who are intellectually disabled. 

Instead of holding clemency hearings, the board held administrative hearings today for the five people on death row, making a mockery of people condemned to die, our legal system, and the governor’s authority. Today, the Board denied all five people a chance at mercy. Today, all five people’s lives have been put in peril. 

Appointed officials and the Attorney General have failed Louisiana. The State had the chance to choose life over death, dignity over violence, right over wrong, but instead Louisiana chose to continue the cycle of harm. 

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So what’s next? We keep fighting. There are 56 human beings on death row in Louisiana. The fight to commute their sentences to life is not over.  

PJI will continue to support everyone harmed by this system including the families of people on death row, families of those harmed by violence, and those harmed by the death penalty and this hijacked clemency system. We will not stop fighting for justice, dignity, and mercy. 

Thank you for standing with us, today and every day. 

Samantha Kennedy 

Executive Director 

Promise of Justice Initiative