AUSTIN, Texas -- Several organizations working to abolish the death penalty rallied behind the cause at the State Capitol this weekend.
One of those organizations was Journey of Hope: From Violence to Healing.
The group brings together families of murder victims and families of death row inmates, and even some death row survivors. Organizers believe minds can be changed on the divisive issue through education.
"In the United States, 160 people have been sentenced to death for crimes they didn't commit, who were exonerated. When it comes to the death penalty, there's no room for mistakes. As long as human beings decide who's going to live and who's going to die, we're going to make mistakes. So we stay stop the death penalty,” said Bill Pelke, with Journey of Hope.
Event organizers say Texas has executed 544 people since 1982, which is five times as many as the No. 2 state.