On average, death penalty cases take almost two decades to finish, often re-traumatizing the families of victims who are forced to relive the violent loss of their loved one over and over in court, with no guarantee that the sentence will be carried out. With protracted litigation resulting in reversed sentences, and the lack of available drugs for lethal injection, people on death row are more likely to die in prison than be executed. Most victims’ family members wait decades for legal finality that could be delivered to them with a life sentence, far earlier, and with greater finality. 

Some victims’ family members have spoken about the lack of closure they feel as a result of an execution, some victim family members believe that the death penalty will only cause more death and will not honor the loss of their loved one. 

One other largely overlooked group of individuals impacted by the death penalty are the family members of those on Death Row. They suffer grief and despair not only when their brother, son or father is executed, but also during the many years when that person is in prison awaiting execution of the death sentence.