Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison 7.24.19

Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison 7.24.19

STOP PRESS: We love to share good news and when we do, we love to lift up the good people in our corner who so often are the ones who make it happen. Our Advisory Board Member Dr. Katie Owens-Murphy of the University of North Alabama has negotiated an Advance book contract with Vanderbilt University Press for the collection of phadp writings assembled by her. What this means as far as our mission of Being the Other Voice, what it means to us as individuals, as organization cannot be adequately expressed in these notes nor can the new opportunities this brings be enumerated. That will have to come later but at the moment we are ecstatic and very, very thankful! But there is more and we give Dr. Katie Owens-Murphy the word:

“Some good news: our university has chosen Bryan Stevenson's "Just Mercy" as the book that all incoming freshmen will read, and I have been asked to share my work with PHADP as part of a display that will begin at our university library and travel to other public libraries in our Shoals area, as well. I will be displaying the group's writings alongside information and stats about the death penalty in Alabama. I will also give a talk to accompany the display and will be using audio clips from our interview. I want their voices to come through as much as possible.”

Talk about major good news on several fronts! Yes, the death penalty is very much part of Alabama even though few Alabamians know much about it, one of the reasons it flourishes and now “all incoming freshman” at UNA will have “Just Mercy” as their required reading! The positive impact of this is hard to imagine.

And then PHADP will be part of a display about the death penalty in our state with the best possible spokesperson Dr. Katie Owens-Murphy! That we are excited and grateful would be an understatement.

It is strange sometimes how things come together because even before the Board members knew about this good news they had begun work on assembling information for 2 or three posters addressing different aspects of innocence in Alabama. These will now be part of the above mentioned display. 

Our Advisory Board Member Paul Labatte contacted the website of the U.S. Catholic Bishops suggesting that a Pastoral Letter about the death penalty is in order to remind the clergy and the faithful that executions  are now viewed by the church as grave a sin as euthanasia, assisted suicide and abortion.

We continue to thank anonymous donors who gave by going to our website and using the “donate” button and of course also those who gave directly. We thank all who believe in what we do and stand with us. You make a difference!

                                                                 Esther