Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison 2.22.23

Last week Alabama’s DOC commissioner John Hamm stated that a protocol for using nitrogen gas to carry out executions should be finished this year. He also said that review of the procedure should be completed “probably within the next month.” This new form of state homicide will of course be appealed in court. We welcome the attention this is attracting from among notable journalists,including Elizabeth Bruenig and Austin Sarat!

We were happy to discuss the great news from Advisory Board member Dr. Katie Owens-Murphy and we quote: “We write with good news— we have received grant funding to create an art installation exhibit around the Alabama Death Row Archive that PHADP helped to create at UNA!

A group of emerging Black artists— all based in Alabama— will be working with the archival materials and using them as inspiration for the exhibit, which is titled “The Art of Resistance: Documenting Alabama’s Death Row.” We will be highlighting not only the cruelty and contradictions of capital punishment but the powerful resistance put forth by organizations like yours.

We are reaching out to PHADP members because we would like to work directly with you all! We want to center the voices, experiences, and work of those who are directly impacted by capital punishment.” What a great opportunity for us to be “seen” and to get the word out! We will keep you posted!

We are constantly reminded how fortunate we are having such a talented and involved Advisory Board. A request from the Guardian for a statement regarding the gas chamber which we forward to Dr. Joel Zivot and within minutes Dr. Joel Zivot lets us know that he has takes care of it! You can read it in the article Alabama takes steps toward using nitrogen as new execution method Then there is our German Advisory Board Member, Ursula Malchau who writes on point letters to a German business here in Alabama and to the Executive Director of Alabama Germany Partnership regarding the gas chamber! Thank you to all!

On THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2023 AT 6:00 PM CT at the Sanctuary, 432 S. Goldthwaite St in Montgomery there will be a documentary “Rocky Myers: A Documentary from Alabama's Death Row”. Robin “Rocky” Myers is a 62 intellectually disabled black man who was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in 1993 for a crime he did not commit.

.In closing, and as always, we continue to 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. You encourage us and make all the difference. Stay safe!

                                                            Esther