Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Funding Request
November 27, 2018
Name Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Address P.O. Box 12222
Richmond, VA 23241
Telephone Number (434) 960-7779
Email Address office@vadp.org
Leadership Michael Stone, Executive Director
Mission statement:
Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (VADP) is a statewide citizens’ organization
dedicated to educating the public about alternatives to the death penalty.
History:
VADP was formed in 1991 to organize opposition to capital punishment. Since then VADP has
built a network of citizens across the Commonwealth to work for abolition of the death penalty.
Legal status:
Originally incorporated as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, VADP changed its legal status to a 501(c)(3)
organization — receiving its status confirmation letter from the IRS on August 12, 2014.
In addition, VADP is registered with the Virginia Office of Regulatory and Charitable Programs as
required under the Virginia Solicitation of Contributions Law.
Purpose of the requested funds:
VADP is seeking funds for its general operations to educate the public about capital punishment and
to organize citizens to seek an end to the death penalty in Virginia. VADP works very closely with
the Virginia Catholic Conference and the ACLU of Virginia in developing educational resources
and legislative strategy at the General Assembly.
Background information:
Since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the states to reintroduce capital punishment in 1976, Virginia
has executed 113 people —second most in the nation behind only Texas. Those sentenced to death
are overwhelming the poor, people of color, and those with mental illness.
Only 35% of the 133 political jurisdictions in the Commonwealth have had someone executed.
Three jurisdictions (Prince William, Chesterfield & Virginia Beach) have 23% of Virginia’s
executions. Seven jurisdictions (Prince William, Chesterfield, Virginia Beach, Fairfax, Hampton,
Pittsylvania, & Portsmouth) account for 41% of the state’s executions.
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The death penalty is a failed government program that is prohibitively expensive, random &
discriminatory in its application, and ineffective in deterring violent crime. In addition, the
mandatory appeals in capital cases turn killers into media celebrities and ensure that the family
members of murder victims endure years of glaring media attention while the required appeals wind
their way through state and federal court systems.
Program & strategy:
In addition to its legislative advocacy work, VADP has convened regional gatherings of VADP
supporters during the spring in northern Virginia, Charlottesville, Richmond, Norfolk, and
Roanoke. These regional gatherings take place twice a year — in the spring and fall.
VADP has been working with the Virginia Catholic Conference, ACLU of Virginia, and the
National Alliance on Mental Illness of Virginia to build bipartisan support for legislation that
prohibits the execution of people with serious mental illness. This is one of many reforms to the
state’s capital punishment law recommended by an American Bar Association panel in 2013.
Eighteen months ago, VADP secured funding to hire a full-time Field Director. Since then, Dale
Brumfield has met with hundreds of local faith, social service, business, media, and political leaders
in Martinsville, Danville, Floyd, Elkton, Winchester, Lynchburg, and other smaller Virginia towns.
He has effectively reached out to people across the political spectrum.
For example, Dale staffed a VADP display table at the convention of the Virginia Federation of
Republican Women. As a result, he was invited to speak about our cause at five more local
women’s clubs. At this conference he also met a prosecutor who expressed support for our work.
In addition, Dale has spoken to many local Democratic and Libertarian groups around the state. He
has even won the backing of a former Circuit Court Judge who presided over five capital murder
trials in Virginia and had sentenced an individual to death.
This is the kind of grassroots work that we do that will ultimately build the bipartisan support
needed to end capital punishment. Our goal is for Virginia to become the first Southern state to
abolish the death penalty within the next three years.
Measurement of success:
Since this is not a social service program with clearly defined metrics, it is more difficult to measure
success. However, VADP does have the goal of introducing death penalty reform proposals each
year of the General Assembly with Republican sponsors.
Last year 18 conservative leaders — including former Virginia Attorneys General Ken Cuccinelli
and Mark Earley and former Congressman Tom Bliley — endorsed legislation to exempt people with
severe mental illness from capital punishment. A Republican Delegate introduced this bill in the
House of Delegates, but it was blocked by the committee chair. A Senate committee referred the
bill to the state Crime Commission for study, a positive sign.
VADP’s next key step is to introduce a bill to abolish the death penalty in the 2020 legislative
session with bipartisan sponsorship and support.
Budget:
The VADP 2018 calendar year budget has $165,588 in expenses. In 2017, VADP received
financial support from three primary sources — foundations (43%), individual donors (50%), and
Virginia faith communities (7%).
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