Luther Strange's recommendation that one way of appearing tough on crime while dealing with prison overcrowding is to execute death row inmates faster brings two questions to mind: 1) is he suggesting that death row prisoners be denied their constitutional right to appeals? 2) As in Alabama there is no delay between a death row prisoner's denial of his final appeal and the A.G.'s Office requesting an execution date from the Alabama Supreme Court what is he talking about? Surely not Alabama?

(MOBILE) PRESS-REGISTER - Luther Strange: Alabama prisons face 'tough choices.'

Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison

We discussed the article in the Japan Times Online on the execution of the mentally ill, which highlighted the most recent execution in our state, Christopher Johnson. It is obvious that most of the rest of the world is horrified by our actions and questions our concept of justice.

We were pleased to hear that Hank Skinner received a stay, even as we remembered Darrell Grayson who was denied DNA testing.

     
  The Japan Times Crime in America: execution of the mentally ill

By CESAR CHELALA

NEW YORK — Christopher Johnson's execution by the State of Alabama creates serious doubts about the justice of a measure that is widely criticized by human rights advocates throughout the world. According to the group Equal Justice Initiative, the Alabama Supreme Court planned the execution without even engaging in a meaningful review of the case.

Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison

One can always count on Board members to come up with creative ideas on how to get the word out. The latest, and one which, I told them, I fully support is to order T-shirts with our new logo. They already have excellent ideas on distribution. They told me that they still have some work to do on this, but wanted to make sure they had my support.... It is inititatives like that, which tell the world that we are a life row and not a death row.

 We forward the following article by Mr. Hamm with our appreciation and gratitude for continuing to lift up this issue and often publishing our news in the Southeast Alabama Gazette. ( Antoinette Bosco’s article, our press release are examples). As a murder victim family member Mr. Hamm’s voice should be shouted from the roof tops of Alabama!

From the front page of the Southeast Alabama Gazette

 Governor Robert Bentley and the Death Penalty:

By Hillard Hamm

                                                       PRESS RELEASE

 PROJECT HOPE TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY          RESIST CONTACT:

Friends,

We are sad to announce that the State of Alabama took the life of Christopher T. Johnson tonight at Holman Prison. Our thoughts and prayers are with Christopher Johnson’s family members, who are also the murder victim’s family.

Guardian, U.K.

Christopher Johnson is set to die in Holman prison's lethal injection chamber

Alabama is scheduled to execute on Thursday evening a prisoner who has voluntarily waived all his rights to an appeal, raising the possibility that the state is about to carry out what amounts to a government-assisted suicide.