(FinalCall.com)--Since the death penalty in Illinois was reinstated in 1977, 13 men, eight of whom are Black, were exonerated and released from Illinois Death Row.

Many of those former Black inmates joined anti-capital punishment activists in Chicago on August 2 at a public hearing in front of Illinois Gov. George Ryan�s (R) Commission on Capital Punishment.

In January, Gov. Ryan, who is pro-capital punishment, placed a moratorium on the obviously failing system, until this commission, appointed by him, conducted a full investigation. Although Black�s make up the majority the State�s Death Row, only two of the Governor�s Commission members are Black�one man and one woman.

More than 100 activists, organizations and families of Death Row inmates, gave verbal and written testimony to the Commission. The hearing was the first in a series of meetings to obtain public input into its study on the State�s Death Penalty history.

"We don�t live in a perfect world and even in matters of life and death, the Capital Punishment system is flawed with human error. The flaws in those 13 cases, where Death Row inmates were released, as well as countless others, reflect the morbid view of the purpose of capital punishment. Because of this rush to judgment, innocent men were very close to undeserving graves. Abolish the death penalty in Illinois. This system is to flawed to be faced," said John Lyons of Amnesty International, an activist organization.

In an interview with The Final Call, a spokesperson for Justice For All, a Texas-based pro-Death Penalty group, said capital punishment is deserved for those who commit violent crimes.

"Living murderers are much more likely to harm or murder people in the future, than executed murderers. Since there�s no proof of an innocent person being executed, obviously the death penalty process will always protect more innocent lives than it will ever put at risk," said Dudley Sharp.

According to the Campaign to End the Death Penalty, there are 11 men who currently sit on Illinois Death Row, (known as the Death Row 10", who claim they were tortured by Jon Burge, a former Chicago Lieutenant, and fellow detectives, into confessing to crimes they say they didn�t commit.

In 1989, Lt. Burge was fired after being held responsible for allegedly torturing more than 60 Black men during their interrogation process, which often included electric shocks to their genitalia, suffocation, Russian roulette, burns, beatings and death threats.

Mr. Burge was dismissed with a full pension and reportedly resides in Florida.

However, the People�s Law Office in Chicago is now investigating the Burge torture cases.

Castella Cannon, the mother of one of Mr. Burge�s alleged victims, Frank Bounds, gave powerful testimony during the public hearing and requested that the Commission investigate the "Death Row 10" cases. Mr. Bounds was granted a new evidence hearing, but died in prison from alleged medical neglect from cancer�a disease he wasn�t aware he had.

"We stand here as mothers, wives, sisters and friends to say, maybe those on death row did bad things, but they should not be executed for crimes they didn�t commit. They were stolen from our families. We believe in our hearts that you (the Commission), will do the right thing, but please visit those on death row. Look at the cages that these men live in. Some of them are losing their minds and sitting in their own feces. Don�t allow another innocent person to be taken. I would rather see the guilty live than to see one innocent person die for a crime that they didn�t commit," she said.

Despite Ms. Cannon�s plea, a Commission member announced that it would not investigate any open criminal cases in Illinois. Families of those on Illinois Death Row say jail house informants, inadequate defense council, faulty evidence and judges in death penalty cases hauled off to federal prison for accepting bribery money is pure evidence to investigate the cases.

Anti-Death Penalty activists say this proven prosecutorial and police misconduct has steam-rolled the political and racist tactics that often lead to wrongful convictions and capital punishment sentences.

Activist say former Illinois Death Row inmate, Nathson Fields, is a perfect example of that injustice. Although Mr. Fields, a Muslim, has been released from Death Row, he is still incarcerated and now awaiting a new trial due to evidence that the judge was corrupt who presided in his case. The Judge, Thomas Maloney, is presently serving a 15 year sentence for racketeering, conspiracy and extortion. Mr. Fields was granted a new trial in 1998 after serving 11 years on Illinois Death Row, but has yet to receive a trail date.