NINTH ANNUAL DEATH PENALTY ABOLITION INSTITUTE RESOUNDING SUCCESS!

The Ninth Annual Death Penalty Abolition Institute, which took place in Atlanta, Georgia from March 14-16, 2003, was a resounding success, with over 125 participants in attendance from all over the USA and abroad! This weekend of training for anti-death penalty activists was organized jointly by Amnesty's Southern Regional Office and Program to Abolish the Death Penalty and was designed to increase understanding of various aspects of the capital punishment system and the strategies that we in the abolitionist community can use to dismantle it. The Institute also served as a unique opportunity for State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinators (SDPACs), other AI anti-death penalty activists, coalition partners, and international visitors to share knowledge and strategies, network with colleagues, and build vital skills.

The theme of this year's Institute - Bringing Human Rights Home: Ending U.S. Exceptionalism - emphasized Amnesty International's approach to death penalty issues within a broader international human rights framework. The Institute kicked off Friday evening with a poignant presentation by Toshi Kazama, a photographer who has spent the last six years exploring the tragedy of juveniles on death row in the United States. Toshi's haunting photographs of juvenile offenders, their families, and their victims reflected the humanity of all those affected by this egregious human rights violation.

Also included among the many highlights of the weekend was a closing plenary focused on global perspectives on abolishing the death penalty - featuring international guests from the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Europe - and a lively discussion about moratorium as a tactic toward abolition, which was the focus of Saturday's opening plenary. Throughout the weekend, participants engaged in stimulating workshops that targeted activists who possessed varying levels of experience and involvement with the death penalty issue. While some workshops focused on techniques for organizing among diverse constituencies, other workshops offered effective strategies for lobbying or working with the media. One particularly popular workshop provided participants with hands-on experience developing a state campaign as part of the fictitious "Community Coalition Against Tablecloths"! The Institute also featured several small group discussions on current issues in the abolition movement, such as the death penalty and juvenile offenders, and working with family members of death row inmates.

The Death Penalty Abolition Institute's proceedings culminated with inspiring testimony from Juan Melendez, who spent 18 years on death row in Florida for a crime he did not commit. Last year he became the 24th death row inmate to be exonerated in Florida. Mr. Melendez's story of survival and forgiveness provided the perfect ending to a weekend of reflection on our recent successes and motivated us to overcome the challenges that we face in the years ahead.

The Program to Abolish the Death Penalty would like to extend its deep appreciation to all the wonderful plenary speakers, workshop presenters, and group facilitators, panelists, SDPACs, National Steering Committee members, coalition partners, and other activists who participated in the Institute. The PADP would also like to especially thank Ajamu Baraka, Trinie Parker, and the SRO staff for their hospitality, positive energy, tireless work, and infinite patience! Onwards to abolition!

Update on Pen Pal Rules

We have heard over and over again from the inside of UCI that the new "routine mail rule proposal" about pen pal adds no longer being allowed, is already a fact and in effect. IT is NOT so .

The ACLU is still on it, the Florida Justice Institute is still working on it, and .... most importantly right now, is the fact that a hearing about this proposed rule has not yet been held, and so, no decisions have been made. This is the latest in regards to the new routine mail proposal: