A longtime proponent of abolishing the death penalty, Sister Helen Prejean, brought her message to Lexington Catholic High School students Tuesday. Prejean’s central Kentucky visit comes as public safety officers and community members prepare to pay last respects to a fallen Richmond police officer.
Prejean says to kill a person through violence is always despicable. Still, she believes capital punishment is never the answer. “We regret that the life of this man (Ellis) was taken," Prejean said. "But, we have to draw a line that we’re not gonna take it on to ourselves when there’s particular outrage over the death of someone because they were a public servant.”
Prejean has worked for a quarter century lobbying for an end to capital punishment. She says Kentucky has executed three people over the last three decades, compared to 500 in the state of Texas. Prejean supports life without parole as the ultimate criminal punishment. “I believe that’s a path as a society that we’re gonna take first, but then we really have to look at reform of massive incarceration and long sentences” explained Prejean.
15 year old Bella Martino was in the audience for Prejean’s speech. Martino says she, too opposes capital punishment. “Feel like we shouldn’t do the death penalty because I feel like they should suffer for what they did and not just like kill em,” said Martino. “Also, it’s a lot on the families and people who do kill them. So, I feel like there shouldn’t be a death penalty.”
Father Pat Delahanty anticipates legislation to abolish the death penalty to be filed for consideration by the 2016 Kentucky general assembly. He adds he’s not sure if a hearing on the matter will occur early next year. ?
