We are following with great interest the independent review of TN’s lethal injection protocol ordered by TN Gov. Bill Lee. The review is expected to take some time but we certainly like that the Governor made it clear that he expects correction officials to follow the state’s rules for carrying out the death penalty. It is early days in the review but apparently it is already clear that neither correction officials nor the pharmacy that provided the drugs followed correct procedures. As always our question is: where does Alabama stand on this?

Congratulations to Zambia whose President calls for abolition of the death penalty and who had the courage to pardon thousands, It is of note that more than two-thirds of the world’s countries had abolished the death penalty in law or practice by the end of 2021,

The Board is always busy researching new ways to get the word out about the death penalty and deciding on potential new audiences. Over the years we have often reached out to the student population with some success but keeping in mind that students graduate and move on we decided that this time we would concentrate on historically African American universities and colleges. Obviously some work is required to identify individuals most likely to be interested and who are also in a position to spread the word. Law students, social work students…

Justice and Mercy for All held its first reactivated meeting. To quote its founder Shelley Douglass :”Here’s to small signs of hope in what seems a dark world!” We certainly need them and are very grateful to all.

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