Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Funding Request
June 23, 2015
ORGANIZATION INFORMATION:
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 altemmatives 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.
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 110 people - third most in the nation behind only Texas and Oklahoma.
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.
As U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once wrote, “These death sentences are cruel and
unusual in the same way that being struck by lightning is cruel and unusual. ... the petitioners
are among a capriciously selected random handful upon whom the sentence of death has in fact
been imposed.”
The death penalty is a failed govemment 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 northem Virginia, Charlottesville, Richmond, Norfolk, and
Roanoke. These regional gatherings will take place twice a year - in the spring and fall.
In addition, VADP has been actively reaching out and organizing political conservatives. The
recent abolition of capital punishment in Nebraska with strong Republican support shows how
conservatives are increasingly questioning the effectiveness of the death penalty as a public
policy. In addition, Mark Earley - a Republican A ttommey General who oversaw 36 executions in
Virginia - recently wrote about his conversion on the issue and declared his opposition to the
death penalty.
In addition, VADP is working with the Virginia Catholic Conference and ACLU of Virginia on a
strategy for the 2016 session of the legislature to begin considering reforms to the state’s capital
punishment law recommended by an American Bar Association panel in 2013.
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 1-2 death penalty reform
proposals in the 2016 session of the General Assembly with five or more Republican sponsors.
Without Republican support, there is no chance for such measures to be adopted by the
legislature.
VADP is meeting prominent conservative leaders in Virginia and collecting their signatures to a
statement challenging capital punishment. Five have signed to this point, and VADP anticipates
getting a total of 20-25 signatories by late 2015. Once that goal is reached, there will be a press
conference announcing the formation of Virginia Conservatives Concemed A bout the Death
Penalty.
Budget:
The VADP 2015 calendar year budget has $80,513 in expenses. Individual donations provide
the great majority of funds for our work. However, a number of churches provide financial
support to VADP.
