TN DEATH PENALTY BLOG
We are traveling through Tennessee's heartland and highways, meeting folks and starting conversations about our death penalty.
Previous Posts
- Check out TADP's New Website
- More Evangelical Pastors Speaking Out on the Death...
- Moving Story about Sisters' Reponse to Murder
- Amnesty International Releases Global Death Penalt...
- Bob Clement Reflects on His Father, Governor Frank...
- Fox News Reports Crippling Costs of the Death Penalty
- U.S. Supreme Court Stops Texas Execution of Hank S...
- Justice Day on the Hill 2010
- Fast for Life and Raise Money for TADP
- Tennessee Death Row Inmate, Timothy McKinney, Gets...
Archives
- October 2005
- November 2005
- December 2005
- January 2006
- February 2006
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- August 2006
- September 2006
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- December 2007
- January 2008
- February 2008
- March 2008
- April 2008
- May 2008
- June 2008
- July 2008
- August 2008
- September 2008
- October 2008
- November 2008
- December 2008
- January 2009
- February 2009
- March 2009
- April 2009
- May 2009
- June 2009
- July 2009
- August 2009
- September 2009
- October 2009
- November 2009
- December 2009
- January 2010
- February 2010
- March 2010
- April 2010
Links
- Abolish the Death Penalty Blog
- Amnesty International Death Penalty Blog
- Asia Death Penalty Blog
- For Victims, Against the Death Penalty
- The Real Cost of Prisons Blog
- Uncommon Sense on the Death Penalty
- National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
- Death Penalty Information Center
- Citizens United Against the Death Penalty
- Murder Victims Families for Human Rights
- Google News: TN death penalty
Contributors
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Big Week
There is so much going on at TCASK that it has been difficult finding the time to write. Alex has been on the road to Memphis yesterday and heading to Jackson tomorrow. Over the weekend, Kathryn Lea and I staffed a TCASK booth at the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee's annual Mission Conference all day Saturday, and then, I led a Sunday School class at First Presbyterian in Hendersonville on Sunday. Yesterday, I furiously worked to complete our application for the placement of a Jesuit Volunteer with TCASK; and, today, both Alex and I have been in an all day meeting learning to be better grant writers. Alex is currently on the Hill...okay...I am out of breath from just writing about all that has been going on!
But the week is young. Hopefully you already know that this Thursday, March 1, is a big day for abolitionists around the world as it marks International Death Penalty Abolition Day, celebrating the anniversary of the date in 1847 in which the state of Michigan officially became the first English-speaking territory in the world to abolish capital punishment. It is a day to remember the victims of violent crime and their survivors; it is a day to remember those killed by state sanctioned violence - guilty or not- and their survivors; and it is a day for intensified education and action for alternatives to the death penalty.
TCASK will be hosting Write-a-Thons all over the state on March 1, asking lawmakers to support both a moratorium and a study bill. We will write in order to thank the Governor for the current moratorium, to explain why the moratorium needs to continue in order for a full study to be conducted, and to ask the Governor to pardon Paul House. Some TCASK chapters will also be writing to their city councils asking for resolutions in support of a moratorium and study. Hopefully, no matter where you live in the state, a write-a-thon is happening somewhere near you: Dyersburg, Jackson, Memphis, Nashville, Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, Sewanee, Knoxville, and Bristol.
If you are not located near one of these areas, please write letters from wherever you are. A letter writing toolkit is available to you on the website. Get your writing hands warmed up, and let's generate the most letters ever this year to let our state leaders know that the time is now for halting the death penalty in Tennessee.
But the week is young. Hopefully you already know that this Thursday, March 1, is a big day for abolitionists around the world as it marks International Death Penalty Abolition Day, celebrating the anniversary of the date in 1847 in which the state of Michigan officially became the first English-speaking territory in the world to abolish capital punishment. It is a day to remember the victims of violent crime and their survivors; it is a day to remember those killed by state sanctioned violence - guilty or not- and their survivors; and it is a day for intensified education and action for alternatives to the death penalty.
TCASK will be hosting Write-a-Thons all over the state on March 1, asking lawmakers to support both a moratorium and a study bill. We will write in order to thank the Governor for the current moratorium, to explain why the moratorium needs to continue in order for a full study to be conducted, and to ask the Governor to pardon Paul House. Some TCASK chapters will also be writing to their city councils asking for resolutions in support of a moratorium and study. Hopefully, no matter where you live in the state, a write-a-thon is happening somewhere near you: Dyersburg, Jackson, Memphis, Nashville, Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, Sewanee, Knoxville, and Bristol.
If you are not located near one of these areas, please write letters from wherever you are. A letter writing toolkit is available to you on the website. Get your writing hands warmed up, and let's generate the most letters ever this year to let our state leaders know that the time is now for halting the death penalty in Tennessee.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
True, Principled Leadership
Yesterday, hearing were held in the Maryland legislature regarding Maryland's use of capital punishment. The hearings included testimony from exonerees including Kirk B
loodsworth and Ray Krone as well as other national voices. But, what is perhaps more inspiring, was the fact that Marylands new Governor, Martin O'Malley (seriously that's a real picture - talk about a cool dude as Governor!), testified before House and Senate panels in favor of repealing capital punishment in Maryland. That a newly seated Governor would be willing to take such a courageous stand for what is right so early in his term is a wonderful reminder, for me, of how lucky we are to have some politicians who will take a stand for what they believe is right.
Here in Tennessee, we are blessed with Representatives like Larry Turner, a man who believes the death penalty to be unjust and works hard to bring a true sense of justice, not vengeance, to Tennessee's laws. We are also lucky to have many thoughtful and principled legislators. People like Senator Doug Jackson, who, while not opposing capital punishment on principle, is willing to use his political capital to sponsor legislation creating a study commission to examine the current injustices that plague our capital punishment system. When you have a moment, particularly if you live in Memphis or Dickson, Hickman, or Giles Counties, write to Representative Turner or Senator Jackson and thank them for their principled leadership.
And read more about Maryland's extraordinary development at the NCADP blog.
loodsworth and Ray Krone as well as other national voices. But, what is perhaps more inspiring, was the fact that Marylands new Governor, Martin O'Malley (seriously that's a real picture - talk about a cool dude as Governor!), testified before House and Senate panels in favor of repealing capital punishment in Maryland. That a newly seated Governor would be willing to take such a courageous stand for what is right so early in his term is a wonderful reminder, for me, of how lucky we are to have some politicians who will take a stand for what they believe is right.Here in Tennessee, we are blessed with Representatives like Larry Turner, a man who believes the death penalty to be unjust and works hard to bring a true sense of justice, not vengeance, to Tennessee's laws. We are also lucky to have many thoughtful and principled legislators. People like Senator Doug Jackson, who, while not opposing capital punishment on principle, is willing to use his political capital to sponsor legislation creating a study commission to examine the current injustices that plague our capital punishment system. When you have a moment, particularly if you live in Memphis or Dickson, Hickman, or Giles Counties, write to Representative Turner or Senator Jackson and thank them for their principled leadership.
And read more about Maryland's extraordinary development at the NCADP blog.
Monday, February 19, 2007
A Tale of Two Mothers
Perhaps this story is more appropriate for Mother's Day than for President's Day, but it is one which needs to be heard, regardless of what day it is. I recently read this article about two mothers ensnared by the death penalty machine, both seeking its repeal in Maryland..
One mother, Carolyn Leming, almost lost a son to execution, convicted of a crime which he didn't commit. Another mother, Vicki Schieber, had a daughter who was brutally raped and murdered. She did not want prosecutors to seek the death penalty in her daughter's case, knowing that the appeals process would only drag out her pain as she relived the horror again and again. Schieber supports a repeal of the death penalty so other families don't experience such prolonged suffering and so that resources, now used for executions, can instead be used to actually help victims. Carolyn Leming is opposed to the death penalty because, in spite of all of his appeals, her son sat on death row for 10 years for something he didn't do.
The story highlights two painful sides of yet another flaw in the death penalty system: without lengthy appeals, innocent people will be executed (and probably still are);and yet, with lengthy appeals, victim's family members are constantly reliving the nightmare while state financial resources are drained. The death penalty did not alleviate the pain of these two women but compounded it. In this system, no one benefits.
One mother, Carolyn Leming, almost lost a son to execution, convicted of a crime which he didn't commit. Another mother, Vicki Schieber, had a daughter who was brutally raped and murdered. She did not want prosecutors to seek the death penalty in her daughter's case, knowing that the appeals process would only drag out her pain as she relived the horror again and again. Schieber supports a repeal of the death penalty so other families don't experience such prolonged suffering and so that resources, now used for executions, can instead be used to actually help victims. Carolyn Leming is opposed to the death penalty because, in spite of all of his appeals, her son sat on death row for 10 years for something he didn't do.
The story highlights two painful sides of yet another flaw in the death penalty system: without lengthy appeals, innocent people will be executed (and probably still are);and yet, with lengthy appeals, victim's family members are constantly reliving the nightmare while state financial resources are drained. The death penalty did not alleviate the pain of these two women but compounded it. In this system, no one benefits.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Gittin' Er Done in East TN
Well there's been so much going on at the capitol and around the country, that I haven't even had the opportunity to report on my two day trip to East Tennessee earlier this week. And it was a terrific trip, so I do want to share a little bit.
I spent time in two cities in East TN, Sewanee and Knoxville, and had great visits to each. In Sewanee, I held back to back lobby trainings at 4:30 and 7:00 in the evening (yeah, it was a little tiring). These trainings were set up by Leslie Lytle, and all hats off to her! We trained 14 new citizen lobbyists against the death penalty, a number of whom have signed up to take part in our March 1st write-a-thons and Justice Day on the Hill on March 27th! All from an area where we really haven't worked previously. Hats off to Leslie!
As for Knoxville, what a day on Tuesday! I had six meetings, with everyone from college professors at Maryville College and the UT Law School to folks at different churches to NASW members. Six meetings and then a lobby training in one day is a lot, but it was extremely useful. Because organizing is all about forming relationships, and we need to form them all across the state. So these face to fact meetings are essential to building strong connections, to making new contacts (I came away from these meetings with a very long list of new contacts to follow up with - so long, in fact, that I haven't gotten to all of them yet!), and to bringing new ideas and energy to local affiliates (there's an entire church youth group that is planning on attending Justice Day on the Hill for instance).
So get set, East Tennessee, because TCASK activists, energized and empowered, are coming at ya! And I am pumped up!
I spent time in two cities in East TN, Sewanee and Knoxville, and had great visits to each. In Sewanee, I held back to back lobby trainings at 4:30 and 7:00 in the evening (yeah, it was a little tiring). These trainings were set up by Leslie Lytle, and all hats off to her! We trained 14 new citizen lobbyists against the death penalty, a number of whom have signed up to take part in our March 1st write-a-thons and Justice Day on the Hill on March 27th! All from an area where we really haven't worked previously. Hats off to Leslie!
As for Knoxville, what a day on Tuesday! I had six meetings, with everyone from college professors at Maryville College and the UT Law School to folks at different churches to NASW members. Six meetings and then a lobby training in one day is a lot, but it was extremely useful. Because organizing is all about forming relationships, and we need to form them all across the state. So these face to fact meetings are essential to building strong connections, to making new contacts (I came away from these meetings with a very long list of new contacts to follow up with - so long, in fact, that I haven't gotten to all of them yet!), and to bringing new ideas and energy to local affiliates (there's an entire church youth group that is planning on attending Justice Day on the Hill for instance).
So get set, East Tennessee, because TCASK activists, energized and empowered, are coming at ya! And I am pumped up!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
House Representative Calls on Governor to Pardon Paul House
As anyone who has read last night's TCASK Abolition Update already knows, State Representative Mike Turner has submitted a resolution calling on Governor Phil Bredesen to issue a full pardon to Paul House. Representative Turner has communicated with our office a number of times, and we are thrilled to have him make this just and conscientious call.Representative Turner's courageous move has received coverage on WPLN this morning as well as in a terrific story by the Nashville City Paper. For a taste:
“I am convinced that the courts in their deliberations will eventually free Paul, but the legal process is slow and he is already under a sentence of death as he is a very sick man,” Turner wrote in his June 30 letter to Bredesen. “What a shame and what a blemish it would be upon our great state to have an innocent man die in prison,” the letter continued. “I would respectfully ask you to pardon Paul House and send him home to his family.”
After reading the story, call your legislator and ask them to sign on to Representative Turner's Resolution as a co-sponsor.
You can find your legislator here and then call them at their state offices. With your help, we will be able to get an innocent man home to his mother.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Supporting Victims
I read this morning that yesterday, the New Mexico House of Representatives passed a bill which would repeal the death penalty in that state, replacing it with life without the possibility of parole. The bill must now go to the Senate where similar legislation did not make it out of the Judiciary committee in 2005. Kathleen MacRae and other abolitionists in New Mexico got this bill passed by making it a victim centered bill. In other words, a significant portion of the money which will be saved by abolishing the death penalty in the state would then be used to support victims. The hope is that instead of investing in a failed death penalty system which is extremely costly, arbitrary, and unfair, the state will use its resources to support those who have suffered the most--the victims of violent crime.
Too often in discussions concerning the death penalty, those who are against state executions are falsely accused of also being against victims. What is happening with this bill shows the fallacy of this argument. In fact, the abolitionists who are fighting the death penalty in New Mexico are demonstrating that society could be and should be doing much more for those who have suffered horrific violence and loss. How does the death penalty support victims? By taking another life...then what? As Renny Cushing of Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights says, "Healing is not an event. It is a process." And, as a person of faith, I don't believe that any act of violence can offer us healing, only God can do that. In the end, healing is a journey which cannot be furthered with the murder of someone else. Such an act should be called what it is--revenge--not closure or healing.
I will look forward to hearing more news from New Mexico and to take inspiration from the fine work that abolitionists are doing in that state, not only to end the death penalty but to support all victims of violent crime.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Better Things to Do
Thanks to Dwight Lewis of The Tennessean who again is highlighting the ongoing problems with the death penalty--this time focusing on lethal injection. Lewis recalls that last year, now retired State Supreme Court Justice Adolpho A. Birch asked the Governor to suspend the use of lethal injection in Tennessee, citing problems with the procedure. However, the Governor finally took notice only earlier this month after a hearing had been called by U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger, who wanted state officials to bring forth the state's procedures.
When the Attorney General sat down and looked at the procedures, seemingly important matters, such as the amount of chemicals to be used in the execution, were lacking. The Governor is quoted as saying, "From what I can tell, there was nothing wrong with the two executions (that have been carried out in the state since 1960); it was simply a matter of stuff that ought to be spelled out in great detail and very carefully so there are no mistakes."
Good luck on the "no mistakes" part. As far as I know, nothing or no one is immune to making mistakes, particularly in a large, complex institution like state government. Will mistakes continue to be made no matter how the state dresses up the protocol? Absolutely. Will mistakes continue to be made in a system which sometimes sends innocent people to death row? Just ask Paul House. When are we going to stop spending so much time and money on a system that has failed and continues to fail? Don't we have better things to do?
When the Attorney General sat down and looked at the procedures, seemingly important matters, such as the amount of chemicals to be used in the execution, were lacking. The Governor is quoted as saying, "From what I can tell, there was nothing wrong with the two executions (that have been carried out in the state since 1960); it was simply a matter of stuff that ought to be spelled out in great detail and very carefully so there are no mistakes."
Good luck on the "no mistakes" part. As far as I know, nothing or no one is immune to making mistakes, particularly in a large, complex institution like state government. Will mistakes continue to be made no matter how the state dresses up the protocol? Absolutely. Will mistakes continue to be made in a system which sometimes sends innocent people to death row? Just ask Paul House. When are we going to stop spending so much time and money on a system that has failed and continues to fail? Don't we have better things to do?
Thursday, February 08, 2007
The Scene Strikes Again!
For anyone who didn't catch it, the Nashville Scene carried another terrific story about the Paul House case yesterday. It's wonderful that the Scene continues to pay attention to this gross injustice being perpetrated in all of our names and with all of our tax dollars.
Anyone who can get a hold of a copy, cut out the article and mail it to the Governor with a note asking when he plans to act and exonerate House. The Governor's address is:
Hat's off to the Scene, yet again.
Anyone who can get a hold of a copy, cut out the article and mail it to the Governor with a note asking when he plans to act and exonerate House. The Governor's address is:
Governor Phil Bredesen
Governor's Office
Tennessee State Capitol
Nashville, TN 37243-0001
Hat's off to the Scene, yet again.
Alex Rocked!
I hope some of you caught Alex and Senator Doug Jackson this morning on MSNBC. They were discussing Senator Jackson's bill to expand the death penalty in Tennessee to cover child rape. Though Alex graciously recognized that Senator Jackson is clearly concerned for the safety of Tennessee' children, as we all are, he also thoughtfully pointed out the problems with such an expansion. With the death penalty on the table for rape, perpetrators have no incentive to keep their victims alive. Furthermore, child rape is already vastly underreported, as often the rapist is a family member or friend. The knowledge that a perpetrator could receive the death penalty may keep more children from reporting the crime, leaving more rapists on the streets to reoffend.
Alex also made the point that you cannot take back an execution if an error is made. A few years ago in Tennessee, a man was released after being sentenced to 99 years for a rape that he did not commit. Expanding the death penalty will only lead to more mistakes which can never be made right if someone is executed.
Thanks to Alex for a well informed and powerful presentation on the shortcomings of this bill--and all on national TV!
Alex also made the point that you cannot take back an execution if an error is made. A few years ago in Tennessee, a man was released after being sentenced to 99 years for a rape that he did not commit. Expanding the death penalty will only lead to more mistakes which can never be made right if someone is executed.
Thanks to Alex for a well informed and powerful presentation on the shortcomings of this bill--and all on national TV!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Going National
Now I don't have a TV, and Stacy doesn't have cable, but for those of you who do, check out MSNBC tomorrow morning at 9:00. What you'll see live is me on a program with Senator Doug Jackson discussing legislation that Jackson has recently sponsored to expand the use of the death penalty to apply to those convicted of the aggravated rape of a child, with no murder involved. By the way, Senator Jackson is a fair and well intentioned public official. He is generally thoughtful and truly has the best interests of Tennesseans at heart. He is also sponsoring a bill this year to conduct a full and complete study of Tennessee's death penalty system so we can address the huge problems with the the injustice and inaccuracy that plague our capital punishment system.
This piece of legislation (Senate Bill 22) however, is not a good piece of public policy. While most of us respond extremely viscerally to the idea of a child being raped, we need to make sure that our response is focused on helping to heal that child and protect them from further victimization. In this case, this bill does the opposite for three reasons:
- If we make the death penalty available for child rapists, we remove any incentive they might have to keep their victim alive. In fact, if they can be executed either way, they would be more likely to murder their victim do eliminate a witness.
- Most child rapes and sexual assaults are committed by people the child knows, often a family member. If the child knows that a family member could face execution, they are less likely to report the rape, thus leading to further traumatization for them as well as leaving them, and other children, at risk by leaving a potential sexual predator on the streets.
- According to the fiscal note attached to this bill, the state will spend over $15,000,000.00 a year to enact this policy, while only executing perhaps 2 people a year, with actual executions not beginning for 10-15 years. Certainly there are better ways to help our children with $15,000,000.00
I'm looking forward to the program. I'm sure it will be a lively and spirited debate. Hopefully some of you can watch it, and maybe join in. Maybe I should get cable after all.
Going National
Now I don't have a TV, and Stacy doesn't have cable, but for those of you who do, check out MSNBC tomorrow morning at 9:00. What you'll see live is me on a program with Senator Doug Jackson discussing legislation that Jackson has recently sponsored to expand the use of the death penalty to apply to those convicted of the aggravated rape of a child, with no murder involved. By the way, Senator Jackson is a fair and well intentioned public official. He is generally thoughtful and truly has the best interests of Tennesseans at heart. He is also sponsoring a bill this year to conduct a full and complete study of Tennessee's death penalty system so we can address the huge problems with the the injustice and inaccuracy that plague our capital punishment system.
This piece of legislation (Senate Bill 22) however, is not a good piece of public policy. While most of us respond extremely viscerally to the idea of a child being raped, we need to make sure that our response is focused on helping to heal that child and protect them from further victimization. In this case, this bill does the opposite for three reasons:
- If we make the death penalty available for child rapists, we remove any incentive they might have to keep their victim alive. In fact, if they can be executed either way, they would be more likely to murder their victim do eliminate a witness.
- Most child rapes and sexual assaults are committed by people the child knows, often a family member. If the child knows that a family member could face execution, they are less likely to report the rape, thus leading to further traumatization for them as well as leaving them, and other children, at risk by leaving a potential sexual predator on the streets.
- According to the fiscal note attached to this bill, the state will spend over $15,000,000.00 a year to enact this policy, while only executing perhaps 2 people a year, with actual executions not beginning for 10-15 years. Certainly there are better ways to help our children with $15,000,000.00
I'm looking forward to the program. I'm sure it will be a lively and spirited debate. Hopefully some of you can watch it, and maybe join in. Maybe I should get cable after all.
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Blown Out of the Water
I just got back into the office from a mid-day trip to the legislature with the above group of high school anti-death penalty activists. New members of the legislature are often the most ready and willing to hear from their constituents, and, with Republican control of the Senate, we knew that we needed to start talking to some of the new Republican legislators about the failings of the death penalty system. So a student contingent, including TCASK board reps Kathryn Lea and Lillian Siman, visited newly minted Senator Jack Johnson this afternoon to discuss the moratorium effort and the problems inherent in Tennessee's death penalty system.
These kids are awesome! Luke Lea, all of 15 years old, quoted Sandra Day O'Connor verbatim and unprompted. Jack Lindsay laid out as eloquently as I could have the rationale for needing a moratorium. Kathryn used the Senator's own pro-life position to passionately argue against the death penalty. The group, clearly, impressed the Senator - I mean, they impressed me and I've been working with them for a year!
Legislators love meeting with students. It's a photo op, and they get to talk about how they support our children and our future, etc. They expect students to say, "I think the death penalty is mean." But when teenagers care enough about an issue to come to the capitol and then eloquently and insightfully argue the merits of a public policy, it blows them away. I don't know what TCASK would do without our students!
Oh, and the outcome? The Senator said he was "110% in support of a study." Not too shabby.
(There was some celebration back in the TCASK office)
Monday, February 05, 2007
Telling the Truth
I worshiped with the good folks at Downtown Presbyterian Church yesterday, the congregation who hosted our "Free Paul House Concert" back in December. After the service, Julie Lee, the gifted artist who organized the concert for us, wanted to talk with me about what was happening with the Paul House case. She shared that Paul and his mother, Joyce, stayed on her mind during Christmas Eve as no news came down from the Governor concerning Paul's release, which we had hoped to achieve by Christmas.
Here we are now in February, and still no word. And yet, I remain hopeful. The Nashville Scene is writing another story on Paul's case due out next week. We are so grateful to The Scene for keeping this story alive. And, now that the Governor has enacted the 90 day moratorium on executions, we, at TCASK, can continue to focus our efforts on Paul's release.
Please continue to write to the Governor asking for a pardon for Paul House. We will keep you updated as we make progress, but we need you to keep his name in front of the the Governor and the public. It is easy to become discouraged as getting justice for Paul is so slow in coming, but I believe that it is coming. When the writer for The Scene asked me if there remained any reason to hope that Paul would be pardoned, I responded, "Of course, we should be hopeful because we are on the side of the truth." Let's keep speaking the truth and trust that the truth will finally make Paul free.
Here we are now in February, and still no word. And yet, I remain hopeful. The Nashville Scene is writing another story on Paul's case due out next week. We are so grateful to The Scene for keeping this story alive. And, now that the Governor has enacted the 90 day moratorium on executions, we, at TCASK, can continue to focus our efforts on Paul's release.
Please continue to write to the Governor asking for a pardon for Paul House. We will keep you updated as we make progress, but we need you to keep his name in front of the the Governor and the public. It is easy to become discouraged as getting justice for Paul is so slow in coming, but I believe that it is coming. When the writer for The Scene asked me if there remained any reason to hope that Paul would be pardoned, I responded, "Of course, we should be hopeful because we are on the side of the truth." Let's keep speaking the truth and trust that the truth will finally make Paul free.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Come Fly With Us
The Memphis Flyer did a good job of covering TCASK's response to the Governor's decision to halt executions in Tennessee for 90 days. I'm personally proud of how quickly TCASK was able to get the news and get responses out to media contacts around the state. In this case, it's paid off with an additional story in Memphis letting people know: the death penalty in Tennessee is broken and we need to look at way more than the execution protocols if we want to pretend that this system is constitutional.
Read the full article here.
Read the full article here.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Moratorium in the News
Governor Bredesen's decision yesterday to halt executions due to concerns with the execution procedures has received news coverage all over the state. You can find quotes from the TCASK staff in all the major publications, including The Tennessean, Memphis Commercial Appeal, and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. You can also see us on TV, and I'd like to give a shout out to Fox 17's Sky Arnold for great reporting on the Governor's decision. Check it out here.
The Governor referred to the execution procedures as "sloppy" and he's right, they certainly are that. "Inhumane" might be another word someone could use. But more importantly, Tennessee's entire death penalty system is "sloppy." We can't guarantee that we won't sentence innocent people to death (does anyone remember Paul House?). Our system can't administer justice fairly, instead it unjustly targets the poor, racial minorities, and the mentally ill. And it sloppily wastes millions of tax-payer dollars.
We've taken a great first step in Tennessee, and the Governor should be applauded for his action, but we need, now more than ever, a complete study of the death penalty system. No more executions should be carried out until we can be guaranteed that we have a system that we can trust to be completely fair and accurate!
The Governor referred to the execution procedures as "sloppy" and he's right, they certainly are that. "Inhumane" might be another word someone could use. But more importantly, Tennessee's entire death penalty system is "sloppy." We can't guarantee that we won't sentence innocent people to death (does anyone remember Paul House?). Our system can't administer justice fairly, instead it unjustly targets the poor, racial minorities, and the mentally ill. And it sloppily wastes millions of tax-payer dollars.
We've taken a great first step in Tennessee, and the Governor should be applauded for his action, but we need, now more than ever, a complete study of the death penalty system. No more executions should be carried out until we can be guaranteed that we have a system that we can trust to be completely fair and accurate!
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Governor Declares a Moratorium
This afternoon, Governor Phil Bredesen declared a 90 day moratorium on executions while the state studies its death penalty system!!! This means that the executions of E. J. Harbison, Daryl Holton, Michael Boyd, and Pervis Payne are all off!
Please call Governor Bredesen at (615) 741-2001 and thank him for making a moral and logical decision. You can also email the Governor at phil.bredesen@state.tn.us
TCASK's press release is below:
Please call Governor Bredesen at (615) 741-2001 and thank him for making a moral and logical decision. You can also email the Governor at phil.bredesen@state.tn.us
TCASK's press release is below:
TCASK Applauds Ethical Choice by Governor
Tennessee Joins Florida, California, and North Carolina in Studying Lethal Injection Procedures
Nashville: The Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing applauded Governor Phil Bredesen’s decision to halt executions while Tennessee’s method of lethal injection is studied today. Executions have been botched recently in California, Florida, and Ohio resulting in obvious pain to the condemned. Tennessee’s protocol, which includes no medical personnel and the use of questionable chemicals, one of which is strictly banned for use in euthanizing animals, presented many of the same risks.
“The Governor has taken a courageous and moral step today,” said Reverend Stacy Rector, Executive Director of TCASK. “If Tennessee is going to carry out executions, we owe it to ourselves to ensure that they are carried out in a humane manner. Tennessee’s lethal injection procedure was a botched execution waiting to happen.”
The lethal injection procedure utilized by Tennessee involves a three drug cocktail similar to that used in most other states. The first drug, thiopental, is meant to anesthetize the inmate. The second drug, pavulon, paralyzes the nervous system, and a dose of potassium chloride causes cardiac arrest. However, thiopental is an extremely unstable anesthetic, and potassium chloride has been described by some experts as causing the maximum amount of pain to the cardiovascular system. Because the second drug, pavulon, paralyzes the inmate, it is highly possible that a condemned person would feel all the effects of the potassium chloride, while being unable to speak or move. Pavulon has been banned for veterinary procedures.
“If a drug is not good enough for an animal, it should not be used on a person,” Reverend Rector said.
The issue centers around whether or not the inmate experiences any of the effects of the lethal drugs, but Tennessee’s execution protocol involves absolutely no medical personnel. The maintenance and application of the thiopental is handled by non-medical personnel and no one monitors the inmates to ensure complete anesthesia.
“Procedures involving human life should not be trusted to people with no medical training,” said Reverend Rector. “The people of Tennessee deserve a capital punishment system that they can trust. Whether you are talking about the accuracy of convictions, the fairness of the application, the financial cost to tax-payers, or the execution procedure itself, our current system completely fails to meet this test.”
# # #
Tennessee Joins Florida, California, and North Carolina in Studying Lethal Injection Procedures
Nashville: The Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing applauded Governor Phil Bredesen’s decision to halt executions while Tennessee’s method of lethal injection is studied today. Executions have been botched recently in California, Florida, and Ohio resulting in obvious pain to the condemned. Tennessee’s protocol, which includes no medical personnel and the use of questionable chemicals, one of which is strictly banned for use in euthanizing animals, presented many of the same risks.
“The Governor has taken a courageous and moral step today,” said Reverend Stacy Rector, Executive Director of TCASK. “If Tennessee is going to carry out executions, we owe it to ourselves to ensure that they are carried out in a humane manner. Tennessee’s lethal injection procedure was a botched execution waiting to happen.”
The lethal injection procedure utilized by Tennessee involves a three drug cocktail similar to that used in most other states. The first drug, thiopental, is meant to anesthetize the inmate. The second drug, pavulon, paralyzes the nervous system, and a dose of potassium chloride causes cardiac arrest. However, thiopental is an extremely unstable anesthetic, and potassium chloride has been described by some experts as causing the maximum amount of pain to the cardiovascular system. Because the second drug, pavulon, paralyzes the inmate, it is highly possible that a condemned person would feel all the effects of the potassium chloride, while being unable to speak or move. Pavulon has been banned for veterinary procedures.
“If a drug is not good enough for an animal, it should not be used on a person,” Reverend Rector said.
The issue centers around whether or not the inmate experiences any of the effects of the lethal drugs, but Tennessee’s execution protocol involves absolutely no medical personnel. The maintenance and application of the thiopental is handled by non-medical personnel and no one monitors the inmates to ensure complete anesthesia.
“Procedures involving human life should not be trusted to people with no medical training,” said Reverend Rector. “The people of Tennessee deserve a capital punishment system that they can trust. Whether you are talking about the accuracy of convictions, the fairness of the application, the financial cost to tax-payers, or the execution procedure itself, our current system completely fails to meet this test.”
# # #
More Staff on the Way!
Though Alex and I thoroughly enjoy one another's company, we are thrilled to announce that we will have some new faces in the office come August! TCASK recently received word that we have secured an intern from Vanderbilt Divinity School who will be with us for the academic year beginning in the fall. And as if that news was not great enough, yesterday, word came down that we were selected as a placement site for a Young Adult Volunteer through the Nashville Epiphany Project or NEP, a project of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) housed at Second Presbyterian, Nashville. To be selected as a site means that NEP will seek out a young person who is interested in working to abolish the death penalty, and if the program finds a match, TCASK will gain a volunteer organizer for a full year, 30 hours a week!
But, why stop there? TCASK is also applying for a Jesuit volunteer who would begin in the fall as well. Some of you may recall that we received the gift of Alex Wiesendanger through the JV program. My hope is that by the end of the summer, our office will be bustling with staff, ready to hit the streets, working toward the goal of abolition. TCASK continues to make great strides in changing public opinion about the death penalty, and the additional staff will enhance our efforts exponentially. Though we have been hit with some very bad news from the state with the two scheduled executions for this month, the news of these interns give us something to smile about.
