Framing, Persuasion, Messaging, and Messengers: How the Death Penalty Abolition Movement Succeeded in New Jersey

The New Jersey Death Penalty Abolition Movement (DPAM) developed a pragmatic strategy that effectively communicated the argument for replacing capital punishment with life without parole, and the state of New Jersey repealed the death penalty by legislative action, on December 17, 2007. This case study analyzes the issue frames and messages used by the movement, and the possible lessons for movements in other states working to repeal the death penalty. Interviews with key stakeholders in the movement indicated which frames were used most frequently and effectively. Implications for the broader DPAM nationally include the power of the issue frames of murder victims’ families who oppose the death penalty, innocent people on death row, and law enforcement opposition to the death penalty, among others.