“The Human Cost of the Death Penalty,” a new report by Ohioans to Stop Executions, has been released, portraying a damning picture of the death penalty system in Ohio.

“Ohio has spent over $1 billion dollars on the death penalty. What do we have to show for it? Lots of empty promises and harm for homicide co-victims and victims’ family members,” said Kevin Werner, executive director of Ohioans to Stop Executions, OTSE.

Sr. Joanne Gross, an attorney and member of the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland spoke about the push by some officials to resume executions. “Recently, the Attorney General has been calling for resuming executions, and that call strikes a nerve with us,” she said.

“I am here to tell you that the death penalty is not serving the needs of victims’ family members. We do not want to relive the trauma that comes with the death penalty system.”

The Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan Jr. spoke about his sister’s murder in Cleveland in 1997 and the unmet needs of families of murder victims. “The Attorney General does not speak for us. The death penalty does not serve our needs,” Sullivan Jr. said.

“Today I am pleased to announce the formation of a new group, Ohio Homicide Co-Victims for Repeal, which I and the Rev. Dr. Crystal Walker of Dayton will co-chair.”

The new homicide co-victim group will play a leading role in the campaign to repeal Ohio’s death penalty. OTSE director Kevin Werner noted, “It is time for Ohio to stop spending millions propping up this broken system. Repealing the death penalty is not just fiscally responsible–it is a moral and practical necessity.”

Some key findings of the new report:

Under the current death penalty law, Ohio has surpassed $1 billion dollars on death penalty cases. 342 death sentences x $ 3 million/case = $1.026 Billion.

There was one new death sentence in 2024, and just 2 capital indictments filed by county prosecutors.

Over the last 5 years, Ohio has averaged 0.4 new death sentences per year, which is way down compared to the late-1980s where Ohio averaged 16 new death penalty cases per year.

In 2024, four prisoners were removed from death row. Since Ohio’s last execution in 2018, 35 people have been removed from death row. Some died of natural causes, some were removed due to severe mental illness, some were removed due to intellectual disability. Some were resentenced to life sentences.

Of the current death row, one-third (40 of 119) have pending claims of severe mental illness or intellectual disability. That is a stunning characterization of who gets a death sentence in Ohio.

Attempts by some lawmakers to bring nitrogen gas suffocation executions to Ohio do not address any of the system’s failings, which cost too much to continue with this system.

The new report is available at otse.org. The press conference video is available on OTSE’s Facebook page.

Ohioans to Stop Executions (OTSE) is the only single issue death penalty repeal organization in Ohio. OTSE represents millions of Ohioans who oppose the death penalty, and we are the lead organization in the #NoDeathPenaltyOH campaign to abolish Ohio’s capital punishment system. For more information go to https://otse.org/ .

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