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Article Last Updated: Wednesday, January 15, 2003 - 7:29:22 AM MST

Vote of conscience In one of his last acts in office, Illinois Gov. George Ryan, a Republican, spoke with his conscience -- and well outside his party line -- by commuting the sentences of all of his state's death row inmates. Ryan has long been a critic of the death penalty system -- both for errors made that condemned innocent individuals and because of what he views as the racial bias of the system. There is one irrefutable truth that speaks loudly in support of Ryan's move. Since improvement in DNA testing and identification has allowed new looks at old criminal cases, more than 100 former death row inmates have been released from prison. Others accused of lesser crimes now also breathe free air. Furthermore, many studies have shown the existence of racial bias in application of the death penalty. Black males seem to be the majority targets of execution, despite their ranking as a minority in U.S. race counts. Ryan's move is a natural outgrowth of his earlier moratorium on executions. The former governor used his office to forward the idea that the existing system of capital punishment is one that is subject to error -- and error must not be tolerated in a situation where lives are literally at stake. Ryan is now a former governor, and the new head of that state doesn't share his predecessor's view. We believe Ryan's position, whether backed by political office or not, deserves continuing and careful study.

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