Weekly Report from the Board Meeting at Holman Prison 6.17.26
We are grateful to be able to begin this report quoting Jeffery Lee: “this has truly been a hard but humbling journey and the fight isn’t over and God is not finished. I appreciate everyone that is in it with me to celebrate this victory but we will not eat the spoils but continue to press forward. I love you all!”
However, “With nitrogen gas blocked, Alabama seeks to execute inmate by lethal injection” Ralph Chapoco “I am not sure it should require a court to tell us that suffocating someone to death is cruel and unusual, and that we shouldn’t be doing it,” said Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, in an interview on Friday. “It is past time for the state of Alabama to pose the question to Alabamians as to whether the state of Alabama can continue to kill.”
In the Alabama Reflector Editor Brian Lyman reminds us “Yet the case isn’t over. The justices did not rule on the constitutionality of nitrogen gas executions. In fact, three justices went on record Thursday opposing the move. And the past doesn’t inspire confidence. It’s a centuries-long nullification of the Eighth Amendment, with judges turning away from the suffering they’ve created. But we can see it. And we can’t close our eyes to a judiciary that seems to value state-sanctioned torture more than the Constitution.”
The most important thing you can do right now for Jeffery Lee is:
Call Governor Ivey. Tell her the jury said life.
Governor Ivey’s office: (334) 242-7100
Jeremy Williams is asking the state to carry out his death sentence. The Alabama Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that the Department of Corrections and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey move forward with the execution of Williams.
Thank you, Rev. Caroline Kelly for the filmed Interview at Grace Presbyterian church in Tuscaloosa in advance of the SCOTUS decision denying Alabama’s request to execute Jeffery Lee.
“Alabama anti-death penalty group responds to convicted killer’s blocked nitrogen gas execution” a much abbreviated interview where Esther spoke at length about judicial override, no longer legal, who Jeffery Lee is, mitigating issues and what part poverty and race play in who gets the death penalty. The men saw the interview on Fox News and were pleased.
And yes, we are celebrating but also continuing to press forward and so reached out to flocc, faith leaders of color coalition after receiving and forwarding one of their emails. We received a reply giving us permission to add them to our email list and telling us that they are attempting to deepen their connections in Alabama. Please help them to do that!
Michael Powell received good news from the US Supreme Court. He will have a new trial.
We hope to see you tomorrow on our Monthly Zoom call at 11:00 a.m.
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. Stay safe and be kind to each other.
Esther
