The latest on Missouri’s death penalty – EXECUTION SCHEDULED: Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, the Missouri Supreme Court scheduled an execution for Russell Bucklew for March 20, 2018. Previously in 2014, the United States Supreme Court stayed Russell’s execution because of concerns that his medical condition could cause him great pain during the execution process – his lawyers even asked for an execution by firing squad as an alternative.
We need your voice added to our petition asking Gov. Greitens to show mercy and #SpareRussell a painful, gruesome death here.
Awaiting the decision: In November, a jury deadlocked on sentencing Craig Wood. The decision will fall on the judge. Read more here.
Looking back on 2017: The developments of the last year demonstrate the pivotal role that Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (MADP) plays in preventing the state from taking life. Please consider supporting our mission here.
We end 2017 with some remarkable accomplishments, including a stay of execution for Marcellus Williams in August; juries who chose life over death in the capital cases of Craig Wood, Ulysses S. Jones, and Mark Gill; continued empowerment of the voices of murder victim family members; and more community education and outreach events than any other year. Read more about MADP’s year here.
There are ways you can help – really. You are receiving these emails because you expressed interest in helping us combat Missouri’s broken and problematic death penalty. Here are five things you can do today to make change happen:
Sign and share our petition for Russell – as we learned in August to #SaveMarcellus, these petitions do make a real difference in the fight for life.
Be a social media abolitionist – we learned in August that social media has a powerful impact on decision makers’ conduct. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Support our action with a regular donation here – recurring support allows us to compile a stable budget and plan actions accordingly.
Become a penpal to someone on death row – email penpalprogram@madpmo.org.
Be vocal and change someone’s mind – conversations are where we make the most impact to inform others who maybe haven’t thought deeply about the death penalty before. Call the governor, talk to the people you know, encourage dialogue. Submit an op-ed to your local paper – we’ll help you draft it (just reply to this email)!
Shane Claiborne in Springfield: We were honored to host Shane Claiborne in Springfield for three events in November. Shane spoke powerfully about his book, Executing Grace: How the Death Penalty Killed Jesus and Why It’s Killing Us, and urged all Christians to look again, more closely, at the Bible because the death penalty has succeeded in America not in spite of Christians, but because of Christians. The many stories throughout Shane’s book raise one question: should we kill those who kill to show that it’s wrong to kill?
Also worth reading: SCOTUS, a death sentence should not be the price of a lazy defense | Capital Punishment in the United States: Explained | Has Plea Bargaining Destroyed the Jury Trial? | Where the Poor Face the Death Penalty Without a Lawyer | Support for death penalty at lowest level in 45 years
Our Voices project is still in stock – buy it directly from us here. Voices from the Edge: The Impact of Missouri’s Death Penalty on Victims, Correctional Staff & Families of the Executed is a collection of powerful testimonies of people directly impacted by the death penalty, including the family members of murder victims, correctional staff, and families of the executed and exonerated. Each person’s experience demonstrates the complicated, devastating impact that Missouri’s death penalty has on real people.
Comments