Challenge and Opportunity During 2019
Dear VADP Supporters,
This past year was a challenging one for VADP,
and set the stage for a 2020 rich with the prospect
of great progress toward death penalty abolition.
In January we had a legislative
breakthrough in the Virginia
General Assembly. The state >
Senate, in a 23-17 bipartisan
vote, approved a bill to exempt
people with severe mental ill-
ness from capital punishment. |
It was the first time that either
chamber of the legislature had
voted to limit the death penalty. Since 1991, when
we were founded, VADP has had to fight efforts
to expand the scope of capital punishment.
Even though this bill was defeated in the House
of Delegates, it was a watershed moment. Death
penalty reform, and even abolition, now seemed
within reach and no longer a far-off dream.
In February VADP joined with three evangelical
faith communities to bring Shane Claiborne to
Charlottesville. Shane is an evangelical leader,
popular author, and death penalty abolitionist.
Shane gave a powerful, faith-based argument for
ending capital punishment to an enthusiastic
audience of about 75 people. It was the first time
that, to my knowledge, VADP had ever had an
educational event at an evangelical church.
In March VADP hosted an awards luncheon in
northern Virginia, delayed from its scheduled
October 2018 date due to circumstances beyond
our control. We were privileged to have social
activist and actor Mike Farrell give a powerful
keynote address and honor former Virginia death
row inmate Joe Giarratano. VADP presented Joe
with our Lifetime Achievement Award for his
tireless legal advocacy on behalf of other inmates
during 38 years of incarceration.
In October VADP held its 2019 awards luncheon.
We were fortunate to have Rennie Cushing, a New
Hampshire state legislator and a murder victim
family member, present our keynote address. He
shared the story of that state’s abolition campaign.
The November election for 100 members of the
House of Delegates and 40 Senators produced a
political earthquake, shifting party control of
both chambers. In 2020 there will a dramatically
different state legislature, far friendlier to the
death penalty abolition cause.
Despite this progress, VADP still faces a financial
challenge. We still feel the serious impact of the
loss of a $40,000 grant (25% of our 2018 budget).
However, thanks to increased contributions from
supporters like you, VADP had enough funds to
get through 2019 without staff reductions.
However, we must raise $35,000 in new funds
during 2020 to replace two grants from religious
organizations for which we are no longer eligible.
With your continued and increased support, Vir-
ginia will become the first Southern state to abol-
ish the death penalty!
— Michael Stone, VADP Executive Director
Keynote speaker Rennie Cushing discusses how
New Hampshire abolished the death penalty at
the VADP October 2019 awards luncheon..
<j VADP 2019 Annual Report
Progress Made Across Virginia
Dear VADP Supporters,
VADP’s strategy for repealing the death penalty
depends on educating influential members of the
community. These people then carry our message
to their legislators who will vote on abolition.
For almost three years, my work had been largely
focused on more rural parts of the state. In 2019
we made the strategic decision to shift the focus
of my work to Northern Virginia and Tidewater.
I continue to see a positive shift in opinion. More
people sense that the death penalty is an outmoded
relic of a previous century and it is time to end it.
During 2019 I spoke to 27 groups across Virginia,
ranging from three to 75 attendees. I made great
progress in Northern Virginia where I spoke to
large meetings as well as small grassroots groups.
Many of these groups are now contacting their
legislators and “spreading the word.” Fairfax
and Loudoun County Democrats especially are
actively assisting with educating on repeal.
As a result, I received speaking engagements with
political action and criminal justice reform groups.
I spoke to many Northern Virginia Democrats as
well as Libertarians.
In Tidewater, I spoke to local Democrats and civic
groups, but made more significant
o inroads with faith communities.
I was the keynote speaker at the
Prison Ministry Summit of the
Catholic Diocese of Richmond.
Lalso spoke and led breakouts at
regional summits in Richmond,
Waynesboro and Norfolk. One
talk sparked a letter-writing
campaign by Holy Family Parish in Virginia
Beach to their legislators advocating repeal.
Ihave given presentations to several social
ministry groups in Tidewater Catholic parishes,
with more scheduled in 2020.
— Dale Brumfield, VADP Field Director
Why Board Members Support VADP
Jayne Barnard, Williamsburg
I was shocked to learn that Virginia holds the
“silver medal” for the most people executed since
1976. The death penalty is disturbing when we
recognize the repeated failures of
our criminal justice system.
And for what? A punishment that
is not a deterrent; a costly process
that re-victimizes families of those
murdered; and an institution that
dehumanizes both defendants and
those who must work with them every day.
Virginia can do better. Virginia can be better.
I am proud to be part of an organization that seeks
an end to the death penalty and deploys the talents
of its members to achieve that goal.
Todd Peppers, Salem
My research has shown me that he death penalty
is wrong. It doesn’t deter. It costs too much. It’s
applied in a discriminatory way against minorities
and the poor. It can leads to the
conviction of the innocent.
It hurts prison staff, the execution
team, and the families of both the
victims and the defendants.
Plus it’s immoral. To paraphrase
Sister Helen Prejean, it’s moral
lunacy to argue that we should kill to show that
killing is wrong.
I am proud to be a member of Virginians for
Alternatives to the Death Penalty and to join the
fight against state-sanctioned killing.
