Consonant with the overwhelming worldwide view that the death penalty should not be imposed for crimes committed by those under the age of eighteen, you should ensure that Mr. Sankofa is not executed for a crime for which he was convicted when he was a juvenile. If the State of Texas carries out his death sentence, it will solidify its status as the worldwide leader in this abhorrent practice and reinforce the United States' position as a violator of this basic principle of international justice. Texas has executed six juvenile offenders since the United States reinstated the death penalty in 1976. Including Mr. Sankofa, twenty-six more over a third of the national total sit on Texas' death row. This record places the state at the forefront of a select group that includes Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the only countries other than the United States that are known to put juvenile offenders to death.
Death is an inhumane punishment, particularly for an adolescent offender.
The reality is that children and adolescents are different from adults. They lack an adult's experience, perspective, judgment, maturity, and restraint. Even if Mr. Sankofa had not been a juvenile offender, his execution would raise serious concerns in light of his mistreatment by the Texas criminal justice system. To date, no state court has ever examined this evidence. You should direct the Board to review this evidence as part of its investigation of Mr. Sankofa's case.