WM3 Awareness

This is a repost of a bulletin from a member on my friends list.  I am very active in supporting his cause.  Please at least take the time to read this if you do nothing more.  I truly believe in his innocense and am fearful he will ultimatley in the end loose his life for a crime he did not commit.  I am sure I will be writing an additional blog over the next few days explaining their case.

Here is his profile for you to look at and obtain more information. Some of his celebrity supporters are Eddie Vedder, Margaret Cho, Henry Rollins and Michael Graves, just to give you an idea of how big this is.  Damien

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Damien
Date: Jun 3, 2006 2:55 PM

June 3, 2006 marks the 13th anniversary that Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley were arrested for murders they did not commit. It is also West Memphis Three Worldwide Awareness Day, the perfect opportunity for supporters to join together and let the world know the truth about their unjust convictions.  All over the globe, people will stage concerts, screen Paradise Lost I & II and host benefits to raise money for the WM3's defense funds.

Did you know:

Since 1976, 123 men and women have been released from death row after being found INNOCENT, several of whom came within hours of execution

There is mounting evidence to suggest that several innocent men were wrongfully executed in the U.S. in the last 20 years.

Myth: Execution is cheaper than imprisonment

FACT: The cost of execution is two to three times that of LIFE imprisonment.

The California death penalty system costs taxpayers $114 million per YEAR beyond the costs of keeping convicts locked up for life. The majority of expenses are incurred at the trial level.

Money spent administering the death penalty is diverted from services that could help prevent crime including: offender re-entry services, police programs, drug and alcohol treatment programs, and social service agencies that work with at-risk youth.

A New York study revealed it cost $2.8 million to try an indigent capital defendant through the first stage of appeals - more than twise the cost of life imprisonment.

In Texas, the Dallas Morning News concluded that a death penalty case cost an average $2.3 million dollars, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell with the highest level of security for 40 years.

Fact: More than 122 countries - a vast majority - no longer use the death penalty.

In 2005, 94f all known executions occurred in just four (4) countries: China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

The United States is the ONLY western democracy that uses the death penalty.

BURDEN OF INNOCENCE Take time out and watch these clips. They are of innocent men that have been in prison and later exonerated. They talk about life after being exonerated. Very informative.