Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison 8.21.19

                      Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison 8.21.19

Alabama continues to refuse to comply with open records laws when Attorney General Steve Marshall denied AL.com’s request to see a contract his office entered related to the development of a new method of execution using nitrogen gas, the latest move in a policy of secrecy regarding how the state puts prisoners to death. Dunham of the DPIC stated in reference to the use of nitrogen gas:“I think the amount of time it’s taking states to come up with protocols shows us just how little we knew. It’s never been done before. It’s experimental. And we still don’t know how it’s going to work or if it’s going to work.” Meanwhile we continue to be grateful to the Alabama news organizations, seeking information regarding executions in this state.

We did not comment a couple of weeks ago on the State’s request to the Alabama Supreme Court to set an execution date as we were aware that the inmate had signed a form requesting nitrogen gas as a method of execution. Fortunately he had also given a signed form to his attorney besides handing it to an officer. Apparently the copy for the state could not be found. One certainly has to wonder about the lack of professionalism which permeated this whole procedure for all on death row at Holman.

The posters for Dr. Katie Owens-Murphy are almost ready to be mailed while work on the next edition of our newsletter Wings of Hope continues.

Last week’s news that U.S. Senator Dick Durbin filed a bill to abolish the death penalty nationwide was huge news. Yes, it is not because we are not aware that this would apply only to federal cases nor because we are naïve about the likelihood of passage of this bill, but because it focuses national attention on all that is wrong with the death penalty, federal or state. So this was indeed great news!

This Saturday, August 24^th at 12:00 p.m. there will be a Rally for Unity and Rally Against Hate and Divisiveness on the steps of the Capitol in Montgomery organized by the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP and other sister organizations. All are invited!

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