SISTERS OF BON SECOURS, USA 7
THE SISTERS OF BON SECOURS
MINISTRY GRANT
Application
Please complete the following questions using no more than six pages maximum.
1, Project Description
a. Please give the project’s name and location
“Severe mental illness death penalty exemption in Virginia” is our project. If successful, the
work would result in exempting people with severe mental illness (SMI) from being
punished for capital murder with a death sentence.
VADP is seeking funds to educate the public about the diminished capacity of people with
SMI who are charged with capital murder. The project supports a Field Director to educate
religious, civic, and business leaders within key legislative districts across Virginia.
b. Briefly describe this project and the organization to which it belongs.
Virginians for Altematives to the Death Penalty (VADP) is a statewide citizens’ organization
founded in 1991 to end the death penalty through education, organizing, and advocacy.
VADP works closely with the American Bar Association, National Alliance on Mental
Illness Virginia, Virginia Catholic Conference, and ACLU of Virginia on this SMI project.
Other organizations supporting the SMI exemption include the Virginia Counselors
Association, Mental Health A merica of Virginia, and the National Association of Social
Workers Virginia Chapter.
c. How is this project in keeping with the Sisters of Bon Secours Mission and the purpose
of the Sisters of Bon Secours Ministry Grant?
This project is in keeping with the Sisters of Bon Secours Mission and its traditions as well
as the Advocacy Resolutions of Bon Secours Ministries that states:
“The struggle for a more humane world is not an option; it is an integral part of
spreading the Gospel. In light of this deeply held conviction, we are compelled to work
toward a more just and humane world where the dignity of all persons is respected and
an environment is created that allows for the full flourishing of each human person.
“Therefore, in keeping with Catholic Social Teaching and the charism of Bon Secours,
we stand in solidarity with those who seek the common good and the protection of all
persons, particularly those who are marginalized.”
Capital punishment is contrary to essential human dignity as articulated by Pope John Paul
Tl in Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) and affirmed in the Catechism of the Catholic
Church (2266 & 2267).
Bon Secours Ministry Grant VADP 2018 Funding A pplication Page 2
For decades, the Vatican as well as the U.S. Catholic Bishops have called for an end to
executions. On May 6, 2015 the Virginia Bishops wrote, “By ending the use of the death
penalty we would take one important step - among significant others we must take - to
abandon the culture of death and embrace the culture of life.”
Second, those sentenced to death in Virginia are overwhelming poor, people of color, and
those with mental illness. For example, Dinwiddie County sought the death penalty in 2017
for a black man who killed a state trooper, then fled after taking off his clothes. After his
capture, this man was ruled incompetent and treated in a state psychiatric unit for over a
year. At trial the jury rejected the insanity defense despite the opinion of both prosecutor and
defense expert witnesses that he was insane at the time of the crime. The jury then convicted
the man of capital murder, but did not sentence him to death. The man is now being held in
a maximum-security prison instead of receiving mental health treatment in a secure facility.
In July 2017 Governor Terry McAuliffe allowed the execution of a mentally ill man,
William Morva, despite the opinion of an independent court-appointed expert that Mr.
Morva suffered from delusional disorder, a form of psychosis which caused him to be
unable to distinguish objective reality from delusion.
Third, death row inmates in Virginia have been held in solitary confinement for years at a
time. This practice has serious negative consequences and driven at least one death row
inmate insane. Last year a court case forced the Virginia Department of Corrections to
improve conditions and allow limited social interaction among death row inmates.
2. Needs Assessment
a. What is scope and significance of unmet or underserved need addressed by this project?
A 2006 study by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics showed that 64
percent of local jail inmates, 56 percent of state prisoners, and 45 percent of federal prisoners
have symptoms of mental illness. Mental Health A merica estimates that 20 percent of
inmates currently on death row in the United States have a severe mental illness.
It is difficult to know how many people will be affected by the SMI exemption in Virginia.
However, the bill’s requirement of the presence of a severe mental illness with significantly
impaired capacity at the time of the offense ensures that this would remain a limited
exemption. This restrictive standard only includes the most serious forms of mental illness.
b. Is anyone else providing this service? If so, how does the proposed project complement or
differ from the other project(s)/service(s).
VADP is the only organization in Virginia that is solely dedicated to reform and abolition of
the death penalty. It plays a leading role in convening SMI coalition partners (see 1b) and
coordinates joint efforts in education, organizing, and advocacy.
c. How many people and who will be served by this project?
The direct beneficiaries of VA DP’s work are the four inmates currently on death row and
those accused of capital murder as well as their attommeys. There is no database on the
number of capital prosecutions in Virginia despite a 2002 recommendation by the Virginia
Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to create one.
In addition, employees in our courts, criminal justice system, and prisons would be relieved
of the burden to try, sentence, and carry out executions. Many of these individuals suffer
psychological trauma from involvement with the state’s death penalty system.
Bon Secours Ministry Grant VADP 2018 Funding A pplication Page 3
Finally, the taxpayers of Virginia would benefit from ending capital punishment which is far
more expensive than the alternative sentence of life in prison without parole. Itis estimated
that ending capital punishment would save Virginia several million dollars each year.
3. Project Goals
a. List the goals and specific objectives of this project and provide an estimated timetable for
implementation.
VADP has a goal of seeking a vote to abolish the death penalty in the 2020 session of the
Virginia legislative session. In order to reach this goal, VADP and its partner organizations
will introduce reform legislation such as the severe mental illness exemption to educate
legislators and the public about the serious problems in our death penalty system.
VADP, the Virginia Catholic Conference, and the ACLU of Virginia have identified a core
group of legislators who have struggled with their consciences to vote in favor of death
penalty-related bills in recent years. Our educational efforts with local religious, civic, and
business leaders will take place in the districts of these Delegates and Senators.
This project, which began in 2017, will take place during 2018 and 2019 to build local
support from religious, civic, and business leaders for the severe mental illness exemption
and other reform legislation as well as death penalty abolition.
Objectives for this project in 2018 are:
= Identify at least 50 significant religious, civic, and business leaders in 12 target
legislative districts identified by VADP and its partner organizations.
= Contact at least 20 of these leaders by phone and/or e-mail each week.
= Meet in person with at least 5 of these leaders each week.
= Build ongoing relationships with many of these local leaders.
= Recruit at least five local leaders in each of the 8 target legislative districts to contact
their legislator and advocate for the severe mental illness exemption.
b. How will you measure the achievement of these objectives?
The Field Director has created an online spreadsheet or database of each identified local
leader and his or her background as well as logs of each contact made, individual meeting
results, and follow-up actions. It also identifies those who oppose the death penalty.
c. If this is a request for a second grant for the same project previously awarded by us, how
have you accomplished your goals and objectives? How do these goals and objectives
differ from those of the new request?
In the past six months the VADP Field Director has worked in eight target legislative districts
and met with community leaders. These districts were chosen because their legislators hold
key positions in either the House or Senate Courts of Justice Committees which will
consider legislation to ban the execution of people with severe mental illness.
The Field Director has spent at least one week in each of the following areas - Lynchburg,
Martinsville, Danville and Chatham, Floyd and Galax, Elkton and Shenandoah, and
Winchester. These communities are located in lesser populated and more rural areas of the
state, mostly in southside Virginia, southwest Virginia, and the Shenandoah Valley.
Bon Secours Ministry Grant VADP 2018 Funding A pplication Page 4
During this time the Field Director has met over 80 local leaders across the Commonwealth
who are involved in the faith community, social services, business, media, and politics. He
recruited 39 of those local leaders to join VADP. Some have written op-eds supporting the
SMI exemption while others have written letters of support for the bill to their legislators.
Guest op-eds that support the SMI exemption were published in three newspapers whose
readership includes people in target legislative districts:
Death Penalty for Mentally Ill Defendants?
Lynchburg News and Advance -- December 17, 2017
http://www.newsadvance.com/opinion/community_viewpoint/cabezas-and-thissen-
death-penalty-for-mentally-ill-defendants/article_5124e1a4-e1¢3-11¢7-a0e8-
970a8436d026.html
Stop Executing The Mentally Ill
Harrisonburg Daily News-Record -- December 11, 2017
http://www.dnronline.com/opinion/stop-executing-the-mentally-ill/article_ bda0089c-
dc50-11e7-82cd-5317b7a836f2.html
No solace in executing mentally ill killers
Bristol Herald Courier -- November 30, 2017
http://www. heraldcourier.com/opinion/no-solace-in-executing-mentally-ill-
killers/article_333e9161-2d89-5e1e-8711-0cd2b02f3d95.html
Additional SMI op-eds are being considered for publication by the Danville Register,
Staunton News Leader, Bedford Bulletin, and United Methodist Advocate.
4, Project Management
a. How will the project be managed?
The Field Director submits weekly work reports to the VADP Executive Director for review.
These activities are reviewed in biweekly supervision meetings between the Field Director
and VADP Executive Director. They discuss progress and challenges as well as work to
resolve problems encountered by the Field Director.
b. Who are the key people involved in managing this project. Please include a brief
biographical sketch including each person's skills, experience, and expertise as they
relate to implementing and continuing the project.
Michael Stone is VADP Executive Director. Previously he worked as a Field Organizer for
the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty in Virginia, Missouri, South Dakota,
and Pennsylvania. He has spoken often about capital punishment and identified “unlikely”
opponents to the death penalty - political conservatives and violent crime victims.
Michael worked for 25 years in social ministry at the Office of Justice & Peace in the
Catholic Diocese of Richmond from 1984 to 2009. He served as Respect Life Coordinator
and worked on issues such as abortion, assisted suicide, and capital punishment.
Dale Brumfield is the VADP Field Director who began work on May 22, 2017. He is the
author of eight books, including The Virginia State Penitentiary: A Notorious History. Dale
has authored numerous anti-death penalty articles for the Richmond Times- Dispatch, North
of the James magazine, Richmond Magazine, the Rappahannock Review and the
conservative political website: www.BearingDrift.com.
Bon Secours Ministry Grant VADP 2018 Funding A pplication Page 5
5. Budget
a. What are the specific uses of the grant funds you are requesting, e.g., salary for a social
worker to enroll children in Medicaid and office supplies?
Salary for the Field Director position.
b. Please attach a complete budget summary for the project for one year, including revenue,
expenses and principal sources of funding, to include budget assumptions. (e.g. 4 aides X
$100 X 2080 hours = $$ per year; or travel 100 miles / week at $0.545 per mile).
See the completed budget template below.
c. Please attach copy of actual revenue and expenses for preceding year if applicable.
See attachment for VADP’s 2016 and 2017 YTD income and expense report.
6. Project Sustainability
a. What efforts have been made to raise money from other sources? Please list name(s) and
amount(s) of past, currently secured, ding and p 1 sources of funding. Include
potential untried sources (name and dollar amount). Please specify.
Historically, VADP has raised funds from three sources - individuals, faith communities, and
the Death Penalty Mobilization Fund (DPMF). DPMF is a consortium of foundations and
major donors managed by the Tides Foundation in San Francisco.
Very few foundations are willing to consider grants for an issue as controversial as the death
penalty. VADP has received technical assistance from the Tides Foundation that identified
eight foundations from a search of the online Foundation Directory. When contacted, all
said they would not consider funding for VADP due to various reasons - not a priority
issue, too controversial, or beyond the scope of funding criteria.
Since then the VADP Executive Director has focused on meetings with current major donors,
potential new major donors, and pastors of churches that have not yet provided financial
support for our work.
In addition, VADP supporters have hosted “friend-raising” events in Herndon, Richmond,
Roanoke, Norfolk, Charlottesville, and Washington, DC during 2016 and 2017 to introduce
new donors to our work. Other events in Charlottesville, Richmond, and Washington are
scheduled in the first two months of 2018.
b. What are the long-term plans for continuing this project? Can this project become self-
sustaining? Please explain.
This is a new project with a three-year timeline. We hope that continued funding from the
Bon Secours Sisters Ministry Fund will help us to obtain matching funds from more
churches, major donors, and other congregations of women religious.
7, Reapplication for same project
See attached Accountability Report of the previous grant year funding with the application.
Bon Secours Ministry Grant
VADP 2018 Funding A pplication
Page 6
BUDGET SUMMARY OF PROPOSED PROGRAM/PRO] ECT - 2018
Outline your anticipated annualized operational budget and key revenue sources for calendar year 2018:
Please indicate which year you are using.
BUDGET CATEGORIES
(1) Amount
Requested from Bon
Secours Grant Fund
(2) Other Sources
of Funding
Other Funding
Offsets
Total Program
Operating Budget
PERSONNEL*:
Salaries
$ 25,000
Individuals &
churches
$15,000
$ 40,000
Fringe (specify)
Consultants/other costs
Volunteer - In-Kind
OFFICE SUPPLIES:
Supplies
Postage
Training
Travel (10,000 miles @
$0.54/mile)
Individuals &
churches
$5,400
5,400
Telephone
PROGRAM MATERIALS:
(Please specify)
a.
b.
FACILITIES:
Rent
Utilities
Maintenance
Other (specify)
EQUIPMENT: (Specify
equipment needed)
INSURANCE
OTHER (specify)
a.
b.
PROGRAM FEES*:
TOTAL
$ 25,000
$ 15,400
0
$45,400
(1) Include specific assumptions for each budget category (include in-kind services).
(2) Identify sources by name and amount in budget assumptions
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