VIRGINIANS FOR
f ALTERNATIVES
TO THE DEATH PENALTY
2015 Annual Report
Working to End the Death Penalty through Education,
Organizing and Advocacy for 24 years
VADP Executive Directors, Past and Present
From left: Beth Panilaitis (2008-2010), Steve Northup (2011-2014),
Jack Payden-Travers (2002-2007), and Michael Stone (2015).
Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
P.O. Box 12222
Richmond, VA 23241
(434) 960-7779
office@vadp.org
www.vadp.org
Message from the VADP Board President
Dear VADP Supporter, resources to band together the various groups and
Last year was a time of strong forward movement _ individuals who oppose the death penalty,
for VADP. In January, we hired Michael Stone, whatever their reasons, into a cohesive force.
our first full time executive director in four years,
and that led to the implementation of bold new
strategies and expanded programs.
I would like to thank those of you who made a
monetary donation to VADP in 2015. But our
work is not done. So I ask you to increase your
In 2015 we learned what can be accomplished in support in 2016 and to help us find others to join
today’s politics when groups with different overall this important movement. And, if you are not yet
purposes decide to work together on a specific a supporter of VADP, now is the time to join our
shared objective — such as — vital work to end the death penalty in Virginia,
death penalty abolition. That, once and for all.
happily, is starting ‘6 occur. Siticerely,
As an example, nationally and Kent Willis
in Virginia activists from every
point on the political spectrum
are joining an extraordinary
new movement to re-examine The Death Penalty in Virginia
how we waste tax dollars on our expensive and
ineffective criminal justice system, including
Board President
¢ Virginia has executed 111 men and women
capital punishment. since 1982, third behind Texas and Oklahoma
This goes hand in hand with a rising group of in the number of people executed since 1976.
abolitionists who don’t trust the government to ¢ Earl Washington, Jr. was sentenced to death in
execute people because they don’t trust the 1984. DNA evidence proved his innocence,
government to do much of anything right. and he was released after serving 18 years in
, F ' rison for a murder he did not commit.
Add these forces to the still growing foundation P
of stalwarts who — as a matter of faith, morality .
. . likely to be sentenced to death
or simple sense of humanity — view the death nora .
enalty as wrong, and the stage is set for change. When the victitt is white than
P ye & Be Iss Be when the victim is black. =
It’s already occurring in other states. When our : ¢ Murder convictions in rural SS
neighbor Maryland abolished the death penalty in and suburban areas are twice as likely to end in
2014, it became the sixth state to do so in the last the death penalty as those in urban jurisdictions.
ten years. As of now, 18 states do not have the Historically, 5-10 people were sentenced to
death penalty and another six have not executed death each year in Virginia and as many as 14
anyone in ten or more years. were executed annually.
At VADP we know that abolition in Virginia is No jury in Virginia has sentenced an individual
possible. But we also know it will take additional to death in over four years.
2 VADP 2015 Annual Report
¢ A person is three times more
°
°
Accomplishments in 2015
January
¢ Hired Michael Stone to serve as the full-time
Executive Director of the organization.
February
@ Worked with the Virginia Catholic Conference
and ACLU of Virginia to oppose a bill that
would allow the use of execution drugs from a
secret compounding pharmacy (SB 1393).
°
Enlisted two University of Richmond Law
School professors to testify against SB 1393.
Virginia General Assembly defeated SB 1393
in a bipartisan vote against execution secrecy.
°
VADP supporters gather in Roanoke in April.
Spring
¢ Met with Republicans who voted against the
compounding pharmacy execution drug secrecy
bill. Many are critical of the death penalty.
@ Met with VADP supporters at five regional
meetings in northern Virginia, Richmond,
Norfolk, Charlottesville, and Roanoke.
September
@ Worked with local abolition leaders to organize
14 execution vigils — including Roanoke,
Lynchburg, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville,
Richmond, Fredericksburg, Newport News,
Norfolk, and five northern Virginia locations.
°
Generated 359 appeals to Governor McAuliffe
asking that he spare the life of Alfredo Prieto.
VADP 2015 Annual Re;
¢ Gave a presentation at a national death penalty
abolition conference about our successful work
to defeat compounding pharmacy execution
drug secrecy legislation.
October
@ Organized a Richmond luncheon to unveil a
Citizen Advocate of the Year award in memory
of Betty Gallagher. 75 supporters saw Steve
Northup receive this award and Del. Scott
Surovell get Legislator of the Y ear honors.
Met with VADP supporters at five regional
meetings in northern Virginia, Richmond,
Norfolk, Charlottesville, and Roanoke.
November
°
@ Received a $40,000 grant from the national
Death Penalty Mobilization Fund to organize a
broad coalition in Virginia to seek a ban on the
execution of people with serious mental illness
¢ Launched a new mobile-friendly web site.
December
¢@ Worked with the National Alliance on Mental
Illness of Virginia, mental health advocacy
groups, and existing legislative partners to
support legislation to ban the execution of
people with serious mental illness.
VIRGINIANS F
BS abl TERN iV)
an" DEA)
Ay yee icheon A.
mousing Suggess! Take a look
The VADP web site that debuted in November 2015
scales its appearance for mobile devices.
