About the Contest

Young people are the future of the Catholic Church, tomorrow’s community leaders, and the nation’s next decision makers.

These emerging leaders are critical to the death penalty abolition movement. Young adults consistently oppose capital punishment at higher rates than their older counterparts and understand that the death penalty perpetuates racism, targets vulnerable populations, and risks innocent lives. Each year, CMN hosts the Justice & Mercy Poetry Contest to lift up the voices of these young advocates, and draw from them inspiration for the work ahead in death penalty abolition.

The 2026 Justice & Mercy Poetry Contest is dedicated in a special way to Kendrick Simpson, a poet who was executed by the state of Oklahoma on February 12, 2026. For Kendrick, poetry became an essential part of his life on death row. Through poetry and creative writing, Kendrick found a space to take accountability for his actions and face the grave harm he caused; he found a space to explore his identity and dignity as a person condemned to die; and he found a place to hope when he was surrounded by nothing but despair.

For Kendrick, and for many people who are incarcerated, poetry was a meaningful tool to hold onto human dignity in the face of a system that strips it away. Inspired by this act of hopeful resistance, we turn to poetry as an avenue to advocate for an end to the death penalty and the pursuit of a justice that upholds the sanctity of life.

This year we remember that the death penalty perpetuates cycles of violence, not just with the ending of human life. The death penalty ends the human creative spirit, but you can use your artistic talents to uplift the dignity of the men and women on death row in our country.

Contest Requirements

• Poets must be between the ages of 18-39
• Poets should be inspired by their Catholic faith to work for justice
• Poems must be original and written about the injustice of the death penalty
  • Themes to consider: Catholic call to defend the dignity of life, the racist roots of the death penalty, the risk of taking innocent lives, the impact of capital punishment on all people involved

Contest Prizes

All contest winners are published on CMN’s website and social media. In addition, the following prizes are awarded each year from a panel of judges.

First Place: $500 cash prize and an invitation to recite your poem at CMN’s Justice Reimagined Awards & Celebration event at the Vatican Embassy in October 2026.
Second Place: $300 cash prize
Third Place: $200 cash prize