NLG Student Day Against the Death Penalty 2007


The Yellow Pages: Helping you plan for SDADP/08 Recommended Death Penalty documentaries Deadline, Big Mouth Productions (2004) This film documents Gov. Ryan’s decision to commute the death sentences of Illinois death row inmates and looks at the death penalty’s national history. Interviews death row inmates, families, and Ryan. Feature-length entry to Sundance Film Festival. Available in DVD and VHS on Amazon.com for private showings or www.deadlinethemovie.com Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story, Vondie Curtis-Hall (2004) Tells the story of Stan Tookie Williams, founder of the Crips L.A. street gang. Peace advocate and author, he was executed December 13, 2005 amid national outcry. The Exonerated , Bob Balaban (2005) Tells the stories of six wrongfully convicted people who combined spent nearly 60 years on death row for crimes they did not commit. This is a full-length theatrical film. For the Rest of My Life: Growing up on Texas Death Row, Erica Fowler (2004) Details the lives of boys who become men while living on death row. Interviews with death row inmates who have been there since before their 21st birthday. (ltd release: http://www.mediarights.org/film/for_the_rest_of_my_life_growing_up_on_texas_death_row) Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer, Nick Broomfield (2003) Aileen Wuornos was executed in Florida on 9 Oct 2002. “The film provides an insight into the mind of a deeply paranoid yet sympathetic person who lost her mind and killed seven people,” questioning the use of the death penalty on the mentally disabled. www.aileenfilm.com Mumia: A Case for Reasonable Doubt? John Edginton (1998) Discusses case of NLG Jailhouse Lawyer VP Mumia Abu-Jamal. Available for free loan from National Office. Contact studentorg@nlg.org. Raising Hell: The Life of A.J. Bannister, Bruce Eadie and Stephen Trombly (1995) Documents the life of A.J. Bannister as well as the filmmaker’s discovery of new evidence. A.J. is granted a stay of execution two hours before he is scheduled to die. Available at http://www.filmakers.com/indivs/RaisingHell.htm, buy $295, rent $75. Executions, David Herman, Arun Kumar, David Monaghan (1995) A graphic, uncensored look at why there can be no such thing as a “humane” execution. Available from various online retail sites. The Execution of Wanda Jean, Liz Garmus (2002) In-depth documentary examines the controversy surrounding the 2001 execution of black inmate Wanda Jean Allen, a convicted murderer whose low IQ bordered on retardation, yet an Oklahoma court sentenced her to death by lethal injection. The film chronicles her final days and the state's execution process as Wanda's family, joined by legal and medical professionals, fights tirelessly for commutation of her sentence. Available from various online retail sites as well as Netflix. Films such as Dead Man Walking (1995) and The Life of David Gale (2003) are also excellent. They and many others like them are readily available from your local video store and online providers like Netflix. You can also purchase them at sites like Amazon.com. Organizations, Coalitions & Movements ACLU Capital Punishment Project (202) 675-2319 http://www.aclu.org/capital/general/10521res20040409.html (www.aclu.org) The ACLU believes that capital punishment violates the Constitutional prohibitions on cruel and unusual punishment and equal protection of the laws. Accordingly, the Project seeks to achieve the abolition of the death penalty in the United States through vigorous advocacy and public education. American Bar Association (202) 662-1030 http://www.abanet.org/moratorium/home.html (www.abanet.org) The American Bar Association has issued a call for a moratorium on executions, which is set forth in a comprehensive report titled, "A Gathering Momentum: Continuing Impact of the American Bar Association Call for a Moratorium on Executions." Contact the ABA to obtain a copy of the report. Amnesty International USA Program to Abolish the Death Penalty (202) 544-0200 http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-index-eng (www.amnesty.org) Amnesty International USA calls for the immediate and unconditional global abolition of the death penalty, while also calling on all states within the United States to abolish the death penalty. This program has various publications and takes a comprehensive approach to advocating the abolition of the death penalty. Campaign to End the Death Penalty www.nodeathpenalty.org The Campaign to End the Death Penalty is a national organization of activists working to abolish the death penalty in every state. The Campaign has many local chapters both in cities and at college campuses. On the website, you can find out contact information for local chapters. Death Penalty Information Center (202) 293-6970 http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/ A non-profit organization serving the media and the public with analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment, they maintain an excellent web page and issue weekly news updates via email. Equal Justice USA, The Quixote Center (301) 699-0042 www.quixote.org/ej Though not abolitionist, Equal Justice USA runs the very successful Moratorium Now! Campaign, educating and urging organizations, town/city councils and others to pass resolutions calling for a moratorium on the death penalty. Lamp of Hope (Karen Sebung, Executive Director, ksebung@lampofhope.org) http://www.lampofhope.org/index.html Lamp of Hope (also, The Lamp of Hope project) was started by TX death row inmates. It is focused on a moratorium, but also on humanizing those facing capital punishment. They have a pen-pal program as well as a journal. (http://www.lampofhope.org/penpals.html ; http://www.lampofhope.org/drj.html). Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation (617) 868-0007 http://www.mvfr.org/ Founded in 1976, Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation is a national organization of family members of both homicide and state killings who oppose the death penalty in all cases. Their mission is to abolish the death penalty. They advocate for programs and policies that reduce the rate of homicide and promote crime prevention and alternatives to violence and they support programs that address the needs of victims, helping them to rebuild their lives. NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Toll Free: (877) NAACP-98 http://www.naacp.org/work/legal/legal.shtml An organization that has stood the test of time in the legal struggle for equal rights, NAACP LDF regularly publishes Death Row USA, with statistics on states imposing the death penalty, death row inmates and the intersection of race, and synopses of recent and pending court cases dealing with capital punishment. National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (202) 387-3890 www.ncadp.org A coalition of organizations and individuals committed to the abolition of capital punishment. They provide information, advocate for public policy, and mobilize and support people and institutions that share their unconditional rejection of the state's use of homicide as an instrument of social policy. They publish a newsletter, Lifelines and sponsor an annual convention that takes place in the fall. The National Lawyers Guild is an affiliate organization of NCADP. Witness To Innocence, (215) 387-1831 http://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/ Over a hundred people have been released from death row when it was found they were innocent. Meet those people. Witness to Innocence is spearheaded by former death row prisoners who have been exonerated and released from death rows across the United States and who are now actively engaged in the struggle to end the death penalty. These courageous witnesses bring a human face to the death penalty that no one else can. Through their compelling stories, they illuminate the unfairness and immorality of capital punishment – and in turn move citizens and public opinion more than any ordinary politician or activist can ever hope to do. Additional, select online resources American Friends Service Committee, http://www.afsc.org/issues/issue.php?id=325 Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, http://www.cuadp.org Cornell Law Death Penalty Project, http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/lawlibrary/death/index.html Death Penalty Focus, http://www.deathpenalty.org/ National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Death Penalty Reform Section http://www.nacdl.org/__852566CF0070A126.nsf/0/3F5D4FD9531EA2AB85257211006F6096?Open National Legal Aid & Defenders Association, http://www.nlada.org Southern Center for Human Rights, http://www.schr.org/deathpenalty/index.html The Moratorium Campaign, http://www.moratoriumcampaign.org

The Yellow Pages: Helping you plan for SDADP/08

Recommended Death Penalty documentaries

Deadline, Big Mouth Productions (2004)
This film documents Gov. Ryan’s decision to commute the death sentences of Illinois death row inmates and looks at the death penalty’s national history. Interviews death row inmates, families, and Ryan. Feature-length entry to Sundance Film Festival. Available in DVD and VHS on Amazon.com for private showings or www.deadlinethemovie.com

Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story, Vondie Curtis-Hall (2004)
Tells the story of Stan Tookie Williams, founder of the Crips L.A. street gang. Peace advocate and author, he was executed December 13, 2005 amid national outcry.

The Exonerated , Bob Balaban (2005)
Tells the stories of six wrongfully convicted people who combined spent nearly 60 years on death row for crimes they did not commit. This is a full-length theatrical film.

For the Rest of My Life: Growing up on Texas Death Row, Erica Fowler (2004)
Details the lives of boys who become men while living on death row. Interviews with death row inmates who have been there since before their 21st birthday. (ltd release: http://www.mediarights.org/film/for_the_rest_of_my_life_growing_up_on_texas_death_row)

Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer, Nick Broomfield (2003)
Aileen Wuornos was executed in Florida on 9 Oct 2002. “The film provides an insight into the mind of a deeply paranoid yet sympathetic person who lost her mind and killed seven people,” questioning the use of the death penalty on the mentally disabled. www.aileenfilm.com

Mumia: A Case for Reasonable Doubt? John Edginton (1998)
Discusses case of NLG Jailhouse Lawyer VP Mumia Abu-Jamal. Available for free loan from National Office. Contact studentorg@nlg.org.

Raising Hell: The Life of A.J. Bannister, Bruce Eadie and Stephen Trombly (1995)
Documents the life of A.J. Bannister as well as the filmmaker’s discovery of new evidence. A.J. is granted a stay of execution two hours before he is scheduled to die. Available at http://www.filmakers.com/indivs/RaisingHell.htm, buy $295, rent $75.

Executions, David Herman, Arun Kumar, David Monaghan (1995)
A graphic, uncensored look at why there can be no such thing as a “humane” execution. Available from various online retail sites.

The Execution of Wanda Jean, Liz Garmus (2002)
In-depth documentary examines the controversy surrounding the 2001 execution of black inmate Wanda Jean Allen, a convicted murderer whose low IQ bordered on retardation, yet an Oklahoma court sentenced her to death by lethal injection. The film chronicles her final days and the state's execution process as Wanda's family, joined by legal and medical professionals, fights tirelessly for commutation of her sentence. Available from various online retail sites as well as Netflix.

Films such as Dead Man Walking (1995) and The Life of David Gale (2003) are also excellent. They and many others like them are readily available from your local video store and online providers like Netflix. You can also purchase them at sites like Amazon.com.

Organizations, Coalitions & Movements

ACLU Capital Punishment Project
(202) 675-2319 http://www.aclu.org/capital/general/10521res20040409.html (www.aclu.org)
The ACLU believes that capital punishment violates the Constitutional prohibitions on cruel and unusual punishment and equal protection of the laws. Accordingly, the Project seeks to achieve the abolition of the death penalty in the United States through vigorous advocacy and public education.

American Bar Association (202) 662-1030
http://www.abanet.org/moratorium/home.html (www.abanet.org)
The American Bar Association has issued a call for a moratorium on executions, which is set forth in a comprehensive report titled, "A Gathering Momentum: Continuing Impact of the American Bar Association Call for a Moratorium on Executions." Contact the ABA to obtain a copy of the report.

Amnesty International USA Program to Abolish the Death Penalty (202) 544-0200
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-index-eng (www.amnesty.org)
Amnesty International USA calls for the immediate and unconditional global abolition of the death penalty, while also calling on all states within the United States to abolish the death penalty. This program has various publications and takes a comprehensive approach to advocating the abolition of the death penalty.

Campaign to End the Death Penalty www.nodeathpenalty.org
The Campaign to End the Death Penalty is a national organization of activists working to abolish the death penalty in every state. The Campaign has many local chapters both in cities and at college campuses. On the website, you can find out contact information for local chapters.

Death Penalty Information Center (202) 293-6970 http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/
A non-profit organization serving the media and the public with analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment, they maintain an excellent web page and issue weekly news updates via email.

Equal Justice USA, The Quixote Center (301) 699-0042 www.quixote.org/ej
Though not abolitionist, Equal Justice USA runs the very successful Moratorium Now! Campaign, educating and urging organizations, town/city councils and others to pass resolutions calling for a moratorium on the death penalty.

Lamp of Hope (Karen Sebung, Executive Director, ksebung@lampofhope.org)
http://www.lampofhope.org/index.html
Lamp of Hope (also, The Lamp of Hope project) was started by TX death row inmates. It is focused on a moratorium, but also on humanizing those facing capital punishment. They have a pen-pal program as well as a journal. (http://www.lampofhope.org/penpals.html ; http://www.lampofhope.org/drj.html).

Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation (617) 868-0007 http://www.mvfr.org/
Founded in 1976, Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation is a national organization of family members of both homicide and state killings who oppose the death penalty in all cases. Their mission is to abolish the death penalty. They advocate for programs and policies that reduce the rate of homicide and promote crime prevention and alternatives to violence and they support programs that address the needs of victims, helping them to rebuild their lives.

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Toll Free: (877) NAACP-98
http://www.naacp.org/work/legal/legal.shtml
An organization that has stood the test of time in the legal struggle for equal rights, NAACP LDF regularly publishes Death Row USA, with statistics on states imposing the death penalty, death row inmates and the intersection of race, and synopses of recent and pending court cases dealing with capital punishment.

National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (202) 387-3890 www.ncadp.org
A coalition of organizations and individuals committed to the abolition of capital punishment. They provide information, advocate for public policy, and mobilize and support people and institutions that share their unconditional rejection of the state's use of homicide as an instrument of social policy. They publish a newsletter, Lifelines and sponsor an annual convention that takes place in the fall. The National Lawyers Guild is an affiliate organization of NCADP.

Witness To Innocence, (215) 387-1831 http://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/
Over a hundred people have been released from death row when it was found they were innocent. Meet those people. Witness to Innocence is spearheaded by former death row prisoners who have been exonerated and released from death rows across the United States and who are now actively engaged in the struggle to end the death penalty. These courageous witnesses bring a human face to the death penalty that no one else can. Through their compelling stories, they illuminate the unfairness and immorality of capital punishment – and in turn move citizens and public opinion more than any ordinary politician or activist can ever hope to do.

Additional, select online resources

American Friends Service Committee, http://www.afsc.org/issues/issue.php?id=325
Citizens United for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, http://www.cuadp.org
Cornell Law Death Penalty Project, http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/lawlibrary/death/index.html
Death Penalty Focus, http://www.deathpenalty.org/
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Death Penalty Reform Section http://www.nacdl.org/__852566CF0070A126.nsf/0/3F5D4FD9531EA2AB85257211006F6096?Open
National Legal Aid & Defenders Association, http://www.nlada.org
Southern Center for Human Rights, http://www.schr.org/deathpenalty/index.html
The Moratorium Campaign, http://www.moratoriumcampaign.org