Executioner Turned Death Penalty Abolitionist: Jerry Givens
This week the New York Times is featuring short videos about 5 of the 326,000+ Americans whose deaths are attributed to COVID-19. One of them is Jerry Givens, a founding Advisory Board Member of Death Penalty Action, a colleague, and a friend. It’s 6 minutes of beautifully created storytelling. Please click here to watch.
Jerry’s family knew how important this work was to him, and they wanted his voice to carry on. You can help. Please share the video. Click here to learn more about Jerry Givens, read the various obituaries and news items from when he died, and if you like, make a tribute gift in Jerry’s memory. We’ll pass any message you leave on to Jerry’s family.
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We’d like to wish you and yours a very merry Christmas, and… Yesterday, we hosted a interfaith prayer vigil/press conference (watch) decrying [did you know???] the federal regulations changes taking effect TODAY — ON CHRISTMAS EVE.
The changes allow the FIRING SQUAD and other alternative methods of execution; allowing the Bureau of Prisons to designate any other prison facility for the purpose of executions; and SPEEDING up the execution warrant notice period from four months to 20 days! Rev. Leah Schade of the Clergy Emergency League participated and wrote about it, here.
We’ve Been Busy:
- Delivered 20,000+ petition signatures to the highest levels of the Biden Transition Team, resulting in a meeting with them on Tuesday — two days ago.
- Delivered 20,000+ petition signatures to Acting U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen on his first day in office, yesterday. Results pending…
- Launched NEW Faith Leader Sign-On Letter to Stop the Federal Executions. Ask YOUR faith leader to sign on!
- Launched a NEW Jewish Faith/Community Leader Sign-On letter to Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen
There is so much more that can be done.
Plainly put, executions are wrong and we need to do everything we can to stop them. Which is why I have to ask, can you chip in $18, $36, $72, or any amount you can so that we have the resources to prevent the next federal execution?
Without your help we won’t have the resources we need to pressure AG Rosen to do the right thing and stop federal executions. Chip in any amount here.
Yours in the Struggle,
— Abe
Abraham J. Bonowitz, Director
