The Justice Project’s Statement on President Bush’s State of the Union Address
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, February 3 – “The Justice Project is encouraged by President George W. Bush’s announcement in his State of the Union address that he will support funding for important death penalty reforms that would help prevent wrongful convictions and improve the quality of representation in capital cases.
However, the Innocence Protection Act, a part of the Justice For All Act that garnered broad bipartisan support in Congress and that the President signed into law, authorizes $375 million over five years – not the $50 million over three years that the President is proposing.
Moreover, the Innocence Protection Act includes carefully crafted provisions that allow federal funding to states that provide an “effective system” of capital representation – states that are actively working to ensure standards for defense lawyers in capital cases.
We urge Congress to work towards fully funding the programs authorized by the Innocence Protection Act as the bill was originally intended.”
– John Terzano, Director of the Campaign for Criminal Justice Reform
