VIRGINIANS FOR
f ALTERNATIVES
TO THE DEATH PENALTY
2016 Annual Report
Working for more than 25 years to
end the death penalty through
education, organizing and advocacy
YIRGINIANS FOR
Henderson Hill, Executive Director of The Eighth
Amendment Project, discusses the role of Virginia
in the national strategy to end the death penalty at
the VADP 25th Anniversary Luncheon. The Eighth
Amendment Project coordinates the campaign to
end the death penalty in the United States.
Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
P.O. Box 12222
Richmond, VA 23241
(434) 960-7779
office@vadp.org
www.vadp.org
The Long Hard Road to Abolition
Dear VADP Supporter,
Those of us seeking to abolish the death penalty in
the United States and here in Virginia face a
changed world. In many respects we have seen
significant progress in the past year.
Nationally, executions fell to a 25-year low, and
new death sentences were down substantially.
Fewer than half of Americans polled favor the
death penalty, the lowest in four decades.
= The number of states that still
_ carry out executions have
shrunk to a resolute few.
New studies have revealed a
_ small number of “outlier”
counties that drive capital
punishment — jurisdictions
that charge, convict and
sentence people to death in
disproportionate numbers.
There were other encouraging signs.
The number of prisoners exonerated from death
row continued to rise and now stands at 156. For
every 11 executions since 1976, one individual has
joined the ranks of the exonerated, proving the
near certainty that innocent men and women have
already met death.
A growing number of prosecutors, former judges
and elected officials are going public with their
opposition. There is a flood of news and opinion
in various media outlets about capital punishment,
most of it favorable for abolitionists like us.
But we do face strong headwinds. The recent
election has generated an environment which
seems decidedly unwelcoming to abolition.
The new president has called for the execution of
the Central Park Five despite their exoneration.
The president will soon fill one Supreme Court
vacancy and possibly an additional two in the next
four years. His new attorney general has
a history of enthusiastically supporting state-
sponsored killing.
In Virginia we may see three executions this year,
though there have been no new death sentences in
over five years. With the January 2017 execution
of Ricky Gray, Virginia tied Oklahoma for second
in number of executions (112) since 1976.
This is our current reality. Nevertheless, our goal
is to have a serious death penalty abolition debate
in the 2020 state legislative session. However,
with a legislature that approved the electric chair
as an execution method and a governor who
blithely signs death warrants, it looks like a tough
road to death penalty repeal. That is why we need
increased support now and in the months ahead.
On page four of this report, you’ll find a message
from VADP Executive Director Michael Stone,
who provides more detail about our work and
what you can do to help.
Please know that we are deeply grateful for your
support.
As you can see from the financial summary on
page six, we run a tight ship. Only with your
generous financial support and that of many
others will we reach the shores of abolition.
Sincerely,
Kent Willis
VADP Board President
VADP 2016 Annual
Accomplishments in 2016
Public Policy Advocacy
@ Worked with mental health organizations to
support legislation that would ban executions
of people with severe mental illness.
Worked to oppose a bill to make the electric
chair the default execution method and the
Governor’s execution drug secrecy proposal.
Enlisted a Washington & Lee Law Professor to
testify against the electric chair bill.
VADP action alerts resulted in:
— 281 e-mails to 76 legislators, asking them to
vote against the electric chair bill.
— 442 messages to Governor McAuliffe,
urging him to veto the electric chair bill.
— 290 e-mails to 90 legislators, asking them to
oppose the execution drug secrecy proposal.
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VADP supporters meet in Arlington during January.
Media
@ Made an appeal to the Richmond Times-
Dispatch editorial board that resulted in an
editorial that opposed the electric chair bill.
Worked with partners to get op-eds opposing
the electric chair bill published in the Virginian
Pilot and the conservative Bearing Drift blog.
Recruited a University of Richmond Law
School Professor to write a Richmond Times-
Dispatch op-ed on arguments against the
Governor’s execution drug secrecy proposal.
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od
Helped to organize a press conference of faith
leaders calling on legislators to oppose the
Governor’s execution drug secrecy proposal.
Worked to get op-eds supporting a bill to ban
executions of people with severe mental illness
in the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Jefferson
Institute for Public Policy e-newsletter.
Worked with partners to design and launch a
website for the Virginia Alliance for the Severe
Mental Illness Exclusion: https://vasmie.org/
Public Education
od
a
Worked with the American Bar Association
and other partners to organize an education
event on severe mental illness and the death
penalty for legislators, prosecutors and media.
Provided death penalty abolition speakers for a
number of different audiences across the state:
— University of Virginia Law School
— Young Americans for Liberty at UVA
— The Center-Right Coalition in Richmond
— Episcopal clergy in Norfolk
— Theophilus interfaith group in Tidewater
— Talbot Park Baptist Church in Norfolk
— St. Andrew Catholic Church in Roanoke
Organizing
od
oa
Met with VADP supporters at five regional
meetings in northern Virginia, Richmond,
Norfolk, Charlottesville, and Roanoke in both
the spring and autumn.
Worked with local leaders to host VADP
“friend-raising” events in Herndon, Richmond,
and Roanoke that produced new donors and
identified potential board members.
Hosted a VADP 25th Anniversary luncheon.
60 supporters saw the family of the late Janet
Howrie Cook accept the Citizen Advocate of
the Year award and Del. Marcus Simon get
Legislator of the Year honors.
VADP 2016 Annual Report 5
VADP Finances
2015 2016 Income: $112,610
Income
Individuals $ 52,694.49 $ 61,455.59
Faith communities 12,551.52. 13,154.38
Grants 46,000.00 38,000.00
TOTAL $111,246.01 | $ 112,609.97
Expenses
Staff $ 58,386.07 | $59,000.36
Travel 5,738.18 5,442.22
Telephone 448.24 448.20
Postage and printing 569.19 725.06
Fundraising 7,413.86 6,770.45
Technology 5,148.24 5,512.94
Contract services 14,862.01 21,208.72
Miscellaneous 3,932.12 2,168.53
TOTAL $96,497.91 |$ 101,276.48
Net Income
$ 14,748.10 | $ 11,333.49
VADP Board of Directors
President
Kent Willis At Large Members
Mathews County RJ Bee Washington
Vice President
Paul O’Shea Nicholas Cote Alexandria
Fairfax
Secretary Emma Johnston Lynchburg
Mary Atwell
Roanoke Kristina Leslie Annandale
Treasurer Virginia Podboy Richmond VADP board members at a January 2017
Adam Northup meeting in Ashland.
Richmond
6 VADP 2016 Annual Report
