Juan Melendez

"As an innocent man who endured nearly two decades of torturous conditions on death row and lost many good friends to execution, I understand firsthand, the cruelty, inhumanity and futility of the death penalty and the need to abolish it throughout the entire world. I am delighted to sign the national pledge and answer Pope Francis’s call to action to end the death penalty. The pledge is a great way to energize and unite people of faith and goodwill to help educate the public and policymakers and bring an end to the death penalty in the United States."