Human Rights Links

Human Rights Links and Information

"In the U.S. we have a lot more work to do to change minds and hearts about the death penalty largely because most people in the U.S. know very little about the actual practice of the death penalty and do not reflect deeply on its moral implications. Since the early 1980's, U.S. politicians have seized on the death penalty as a symbol of being 'tough on crime' and so-called 'justice' for victims' families. Politics in the U.S. has reached an abysmally low level at the current time; and so we have on our hands politicians driven by expediency rather than by moral principles."

Sr. Helen Prejean, Author, Dead Man Walking

The websites and articles below deal with other human rights and social justice issues that relate to MVFHR's message.

Human Rights

www.aiusa.org Amnesty International USA

www.amnesty.org Amnesty International

www.eurunion.org/legislat/HumanRights.htm European Union's human rights policies

www.fiacat.org The International Federation of Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture

www.un.org/Overview/rights.html The Unversal Declaration of Human Rights on the United Nation's website

Prison Reform and Rehabilitation

www.socialit.org Imaginative Literature and Social Change. The full text of Lockdown Prison Heart is included here.

www.prisonspeaks.org Expression and Advocacy. Working for the human rights of prisoners in Illinois and across the nation.

www.fcnetwork.org Family and Corrections Network. FCN provides information and services for families of offenders and prisoners, returning to the community, and the impact of the justice system on families

Restorative Justice

http://2ssw.che.umn.edu/rjp/ Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking, University of Minnesota

www.restorativejustice.org Restorative Justice Online

http://fresno.edu/pacs/rjp/ Restorative Justice Project, Fresno Pacific University

www.theforgivenessproject.com Stories of forgiveness and restorative justice including those of some of MVFHR's members

Articles and Reference Materials

The United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights (on this website)

The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Aiming at the Abolition of the Death Penalty.

Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power

Information on the United Nations' Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

The 2002 report of the findings of the Governor's Commission on Capital Punishment of Illinois