Newsletter: September 2016
Our newsletters are sent to members at the end of every month. They are composed of articles (usually US death penalty-themed) written by members for members.
We publish an abbreviated version here a month after it was sent out. If you'd like to write for the newsletter and support us, click here to become a member.
Did you know... white male jurors are seven times more likely to vote for the death penalty than black jurors?
'Object Anyway', Radiolab Presents: More Perfect podcast, 2016
AMICUS NEWS
World Day Against the Death Penalty
We're teaming up with Amnesty International for a taster exhibition of Art for Amicus on 10th October, World Day Against the Death Penalty. Tickets have all already been snapped up, but if you are interested in seeing more beautiful works from death row, learning about the artists behind bars (portraits of three of them are to the right), and supporting our ongoing fight for justice on death row, how about coming to...
Art for Amicus
Our big fundraiser is on 29th November at Temple Church, London. There will be an exhibition and auction of artwork from various states, a champagne reception and talks from American comedian Reginald D Hunter and British artist Bob & Roberta Smith. Tickets available now!
Amicus US Death Penalty Training
The next training dates are 4-6th and 26-27th November. Places are filling up - reserve yours here.
Anthony Ray Hinton at Lifelines conference
Hinton was held on death row for almost three decades before being released in 2015. He'll be speaking at the annual conference of our partner organisation Lifelines on Saturday, 1st October. More details here.
IN THE NEWS
Ethnic bias in death penalty sentencing
The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) recently released a resolution supporting repeal of the death penalty citing concerns of ethnic bias in the criminal justice system. Read more...
Californian editorials strongly support abolition
The growing population of the Californian death row has been a cause for concern for legislators and the judiciary alike in recent years. Read more...
Former Oregon Prison superintendent says death penalty is a ‘dismay failure’
In a piece for The New York Times entitled ‘What I Learned From Executing Two Men’, Semon Frank Thompson explains how he came to change his opinion on the death penalty. Read more...
Justice Breyer's dissenting opinion in Glossip v. Gross
Legal debate on capital punishment has become less concerned with the moral question of whether those on death row deserve to die for their crimes, and more concerned with the legal analysis of whether state and federal governments have a constitutional right to kill convicted prisoners. Read more...
Please get in touch with any thoughts, comments or queries. We'd love to hear from you!
Amicus would like to thank Jack LeGresley, Rosemary Kavanagh, Laura Gibson and Christopher Cox for their contributions to this month's newsletter.