This was bullet-pointed.
NEXT BIG STEP CAMPAIGN ACHIEVEMENTS
Signed up 1000 new supporters for our mailing list at the 2011 Kentucky State Fair and asked the
governor to stop signing death warrants;
An important study rebutting the thesis that victims survivors get closure from executions was
proposed and supported by KCADP and is now being cited by Time Magazine (September 2011);
The number of contributors and the amount contributed attracted the attention of the National
Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and the annual conference was held at the Seelbach Hotel in
Louisville in January 2010. NCADP honored KCADP Board Member Carl Wedekind with special
recognition for his long service on the Board and his leadership in advancing the abolition
movement in Kentucky;
Organized citizen influence on new lethal injection protocols now enjoined in the Franklin Circuit
Court (i.e. there is no current legal way to carry out executions in Kentucky);
Contacted the manufacturer of lethal injection chemicals used in Kentucky requesting
discontinuance of sale for use in executions
Contacted European Union officials to encourage a ban on exports of lethal injection drugs;
Hosted the 2010 Annual Meeting of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty;
Worked with interns at Chase and Brandeis Law Schools to oversee research on execution protocols
and legality of death penalty under Kentucky Constitution;
Serial and targeted petitions to the governor to declare a moratorium on executions;
Recruited volunteers and trained them in messaging for use in letters to the editor and for
speaking engagements;
Prepared two guest editorials for WAVE TV in Louisville and various guest editorials for
newspapers including the Courier Journal, Lexington Herald Leader;
Developed a strategic plan that includes outreach to faith communities to culminate in a training
for100 pastoral leaders in November 2011;
Placed the death penalty on trial in more than 70 videos on the KCADP YouTube channel. Family
members of victims and condemned inmate have contributed to this effort, as have many other
Kentuckians;
Promoted videos by four victim family members from one Catholic parish that led to a major three-
part series in The Record, the weekly newspaper of the Archdiocese of Louisville; and
Redesigned web resources resulting in a state of the art website with access to all the
significant social media: a You Tube channel, Facebook page, and a Twitter feed.
In April 2008, this newsletter featured a front-page article announcing the beginning of The Next
Big Step Campaign and invited death penalty opponents to make a pledge to support the Campaign for
three years.
The primary objective was to employ a full-time staff person who could dedicate time to
building on our past organizing successes and to conduct an educational campaign that would bring
more opposition to the use of the death penalty in Kentucky.
The Next Big Step Campaign is drawing to a close. It is clear from the list of
accomplishments that accompany this article that those who generously donated to the Campaign have
had a very significant impact on stopping executions in Kentucky.
When the Campaign began KCADP employed Don Vish as a full-time director. At that time
Kentucky was on the cusp of five executions. During this past three years three death warrants
were actually signed and one execution was actually scheduled.
Nonetheless, no executions were carried out and now the resumption of executions in
Kentucky is mired down in legal and logistical complications. Donors to the Campaign helped create
the conditions that prevented these executions.
But, the death penalty is not gone for good. There remains much to be done to end the use
of the death penalty in the Commonwealth.
KCADP Board Members believe now is the time to seize this new day and move Kentucky even
closer to complete abolition by carrying our campaign directly to the legislature and prosecutors.
To be successful KCADP needs to keep employing staff. Right now we have one full-time
person, Don Vish, and one part-time person, Kaye Gallagher, who works ten hours per week. We need
to maintain the full-time position and increase our part-time position to 20 hours per week.
Please review the list of accomplishments produced by past generous contributions of members. If
you pledged to The Next Big Step Campaign, consider making a new pledge to The Full Court Press
Campaign at the same or greater level than before.
If you have not pledged before, please consider doing so now. There is no amount too small to
pledge.
If possible, we encourage you to make your first payment in the current tax year, that is before
December 31, 2011.
Costs to employ staff and fund an office continue to require about $80,000 annually so the goal of
The Full Court Press Campaign is $240,000 over a three-year period with the first payment due
before 12-31. As in the past, we work with you to make it convenient for you to contribute. We
will help you set up monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual contributions. We accept checks,
money orders, and donations of stock. Donors can mail donations or use our secure PayPal Account.
The Next Big Step Campaign contributions provided the resources necessary to find new allies
throughout Kentucky and bring our case against the death penalty to a broader audience.
Your gift to The Full Court Press Campaign will enable KCADP staff, Board members, volunteers, and
allied organizations like the Kentucky Council of Churches, the Catholic Conference of Kentucky,
the Kentucky ACLU and others to take full advantage of the informal moratorium imposed on the use
of the death penalty brought about by Court actions and the state’s inability to find the drug it
needs to kill prisoners, we are in a unique position to press for full abolition of the death
penalty.
In addition, it appears that the American Bar Association will be issuing a report in Kentucky
much like those issued after studying the death sentencing process in other states. The pattern
has been to look at the process in a state and point out its strengths and weaknesses.
KCADP believes this provides an opportunity educate the public about Kentucky’s process,
highlighting any weakness and flaws that might be identified and urging citizens to call upon
legislators to fix the process or, if it can’t be fixed, abandon its use and repeal the law that
allows it.
Your generous gifts over these last three years have brought us to this new threshold.
Your continued support is necessary to translate the case for abolition into action. Please use
the enclosed envelope to send us your gift or visit www.kcadp.org to use our convenient and secure
PayPal account.
Thank you again for your past support and know we are grateful for your gifts.
Please Consider a Generous Gift to
The Full Court Press Campaign
$50 $100 $250 $500 $1000
Other______________
Per year for three years
Visit www.kcadp.org TODAY.
You can pay dues and make tax-deductible donations — including monthly pledges — using your credit
card and PayPal.
KCADP welcomes the opportunity to set up payment plans for those who choose to donate monthly,
quarterly, or semi-annually. Gifts of stock are also accepted by contacting us at staff@kcadp.org
or 502.636.1330.
Ask for Kaye Gallagher.
