Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison 12.20.23
The State of Alabama has set 1.25.24 as the execution date for Kenneth Smith. The Talking Points are at https://www.phadp.org/execution-alert-kenneth-eugene-smith/ on our website. Please: Take action to spare Kenneth’s life at bit.ly/KennethSmithAL or at athttps://actionnetwork.org/petitions/stop-the-execution-of-kenneth-smith and write to the Governor as well!
Today there will be a hearing in Montgomery in Federal District Court of an amended lawsuit for Kenneth Smith challenging the constitutionality of the proposed new execution.
From an article in Al.com “The Department of Corrections’ plans to use nitrogen at an execution scheduled for January 25 is a lethal threat to the staff at Holman [Correctional Facility] and the public and must be stopped,” Interim Legal Director of the ACLU of Alabama Alison Mollman testified before the Alabama State Legislature’s Joint Prison Oversight Committee Wednesday.
Nitrogen hypoxia was responsible for the deaths of six poultry workers in Gainesville, Georgia and the hospitalization of 13 others, Mollman noted in her testimony. The workers asphyxiated when a leaky fridge expelled colorless, odorless nitrogen gas into the air. Mollman begged the state to protect Holman staff from the same fate.”
Last week there was a well attended press conference highlighting the lawsuit filed by the attorneys for the Rev. Jeff Hood, the spiritual advisor for Kenneth Smith “to seek to protect Smith’s religious liberty and his own.”
We would like to lift up Patheos | Hosting the Conversation on Faith https://www.patheos.com. whose mission is to provide information, stories and conversations that lead to understanding, empathy and acceptance of all faiths. It is of special importance to us as it publishes the Rev. Jeff Hood’s frequent meditations of support for Kenneth Hood as it did for Casey McWhorter.”Losing Consciousness: Hidden Dangers of Nitrogen Hypoxia” and “I’m a Spiritual Advisor for Condemned Men. Alabama’s Next Execution Could Kill Me Too” are the latest meditations. And then from our friend Alli Sullivan “Are You Prepared to Die?”
We also recommend Jews Must Speak Out Against Alabama’s Planned Nitrogen-Gassing Executions by Stephen Cooper and Cantor Michael J. Zoosman. Thank you to both and a special thank you to Cantor Michael J. Zoosman who makes daily calls to Governors of states which have a scheduled execution! Also, by Austin Sarat in Justia Verdict “Alabama Acknowledges Dangers of Nitrogen Hypoxia Executions But Wants to Carry One Out Anyway”.
From our Advisory Board Member Sarah Gregory: “Here is a new podcast on Jimi and my contribution to end the death penalty. My voice is small, but I will continue to spread the message whenever I can.” https://positivelyjoy.com/religion/forgiving-a-killer-and-healing-your-soul-sarah-gregory/
Amnesty International published an article first published in the U.K. by Attorney Kacey Keeton .Rocky is on death row for murdering his neighbour - he's spent 30 years pleading his innocence Please read and take action!
We thank all who are working so hard and diligently to stop all killing in Alabama! And as always in closing, we thank all our generous donors who either gave by going to our website and using the “donate” button or who gave directly. Thank you also to all who took the time to read our notes, commented, liked and shared them on Facebook. And if you would like to order our book “Ghosts Over the Boiler” you can do so at Amazon.com. Happy Holidays from all of us at Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty in Alabama.
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Esther
