November 9, 2005: Anniversary of Death Penalty Abolition

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty in the UK. The Howard League for Penal Reform campaigned for abolition since its foundation in 1866. The charity continued the campaign for a century until abolition was finally achieved in 1965.

Despite the milestone achievement of abolition, the Howard League continues to campaign for the development of a more enlightened penal policy. Records show that on average 11 people a year were hanged in Britain during the twentieth century until abolition in 1965. By contrast, in the 20 years since 1985 an average of 60 people each year have taken their own life in prison in England and Wales.

Speaking today, Frances Crook, director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said:

“The death penalty existed to allow the state to hand out the ultimate punishment as part of a justice system founded in revenge. I am extremely proud of the role the Howard League for Penal Reform played of getting rid of it in the UK. Despite abolition, too much current penal and criminal justice policy continues to be based on the concept of vengeance and punishment disguised as justice. Emotional and strident demands from some sections of the community for increasingly tough sentences reflect this. The Howard League for Penal Reform believes that we should be moving towards more effective and restorative approaches to justice, which give increased victim satisfaction and make offenders understand the impact of their actions and take responsibility towards leading law-abiding lives”.