1st Time Blogger Experience

Today, I was evaluated on my blog posts. (Reminder: I am a "rookie" in blogging.) My English teacher tried something new with us and honestly, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It made me, and surely my fellow classmates, go into deep thought on our topics. The evaluation was scary in the beginning but since you learn so much during the research and blogging process, it is pretty easy once you get into it. I enjoyed the blogging, even though sometimes it was very difficult to come up with different ways to explain your topic and article. I think this blog post assignment is helpful and should be used in the future. As I said before, it made us go into deeper thought and have an open mind towards different ideas. All students should experience this for college and even life.

MGP #8 Email Conversation w/ David Crawford

Dyeisha Long <dyelong95@gmail.com>

Apr 24 (8 days ago)

To: <information@deathpenalty.org>           

Good Morning! My name is Dyeisha Long and I'm a senior at Central High School in Bolivar, Tn. I am doing an English assignment and my topic is lethal injection and I wanted to get some pointers on how the process goes about. What is an inmate on death row and what do his/her last days consist of? I will really appreciate your response.

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David Crawford <david@deathpenalty.org>

Apr 29 (3 days ago)

To: Me

Hi Dyeisha,

Thanks for reaching out. It's an important and kind of frightening topic. Do you need any information about the lethal injection procedures (the drugs, what happens to your body)? There has been some troubling stuff happening since Europe stopped selling the drugs to prisons in the USA, and I'd be happy to give you as much info as you need about it. Just let me know what you're interested in researching.

As for your questions:

An inmate on death row is someone who has been sentenced to death in a capital murder trial.

Most people do not know that "ordinary" first-degree murders aren't punishable by death. A district attorney (the person in charge of prosecuting criminal cases for a county) needs to decide that the crime deserves a "capital" trial, which is needed to get the death penalty. Capital trials have two parts: the first is to determine whether someone is guilty or innocent, the second is to determine if the jury thinks the person should be put to death or locked up in prison for the rest of his or her life ("life in prison without the possibility of parole," to be precise). So people on death row have been found guilty of a capital crime and sentenced to death (although a new report says that 1 out of every 25 of these people is innocent!).

People on death row often have been there for many years too (often longer than a decade or more) because if you are sentenced to death, the Supreme Court and the Constitution require an extensive review process to ensure that you (1) are actually guilty, (2) received a fair trial and a decent defense lawyer, and (3) that the jury was correct in sentencing you to death and not life in prison without parole. Then you can get other appeals to introduce new evidence that should have been in the first trial if it wasn't (evidence that either shows that you were innocent or that you should get life in prison without parole instead of getting executed).

I can only speculate about what someone's last days on death row are like. I know that it is probably a mix of dread and a small sliver of hope because the date of execution is set in advance, but there are also last minute appeals that could get you more time, or the governor could call and say to stop with the execution. Other than that, I'm not really sure I can answer the question very well.

Like I said, I would be happy to help with other questions too, just let me know what you're interested in. I do know a little bit about lethal injection (I think Tennessee is voting to bring back the electric chair too), so if you want more info about that aspect, feel free to give me some questions.

Good luck!

David Crawford

Program Coordinator

Death Penalty Focus

415.243.0143

www.deathpenalty.org

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Dyeisha Long <dyelong95@gmail.com>

Apr 29 (3 days ago)

 To: David

Mr. Crawford,

Thank you for responding, I really appreciate it. However, I do have another question: What exactly happens during an execution? Thank you again for the response and the good luck wish.

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David Crawford<david@deathpenalty.org>

 Apr 30 (2 days ago)

 To: Me

That's a good question. It's different in different states. Most of them are struggling to find drugs for lethal injections right now because the manufacturers in Europe refuse to allow their use in executions. So the states are turning to "compounding pharmacies" or inventing new kinds of drug combinations and experimenting on people, basically.

I hope you heard news out of Oklahoma yesterday. It would make perfect sense to research the execution there, and doing so will give you a good picture about what executions are like in this day and age.

Here are a few links. Check them out and let me know what you think:

Story about the botched execution in Oklahoma: http://www.newrepublic.com/article/117585/clayton-lockett-execution-botched-problem-lethal-injection

Basic intro to lethal injection (this might answer some of your questions, actually), but be careful because it out-of-date. http://people.howstuffworks.com/lethal-injection.htm. The drugs are changing, and there only 32 states with the death penalty, not 35.

An article about how this mess started: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_world_/2014/04/30/clayton_lockett_execution_are_the_eu_export_controls_on_death_penalty_drugs.html

Hope these get you started. Let me know if you have any other questions.

MGP #6 Q&A

Q: Why is a new drug being tested on each inmate?
A:  Europe banned selling the lethal injection drugs to prisons in the United States of America

Q: Why did Clayton Lockette die last Tuesday?
A: His vein exploded due to the drugs and he suffered a heart attack

Q: Who did they put a hold on and why was his execution put on hold?
A: Charles Warner and the Supreme Court didn't want the same thing to happen again and risk the chance of two lawsuits

Q: Why did Oklahoma court decide in the inmates favor?
A: Oklahoma's secrecy law did indeed violate the state Constitution's right of access to the courts.

Q: What will the people do about this?
A: There can only be more test done, but with more test comes more problems. This is no "win-win" situation. Time can only tell

Mccracken, Megan, and Jennifer Moreno. "Secret Drugs, Agonizing Deaths." New York Times 14 Apr. 2014: A23(L). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

MGP #5 (Part2)

This typed letter shows proof that the justice system isn't always justified! Here in this letter, Mr. Jasper describes the horrible treatment he received as an inmate and speaks on why the black community is always a target. Ray Jasper, who was accused of the murder of his business partner in 1998, wrote a tremendous amount of information about his prison life and how he felt about being on death row. Being on the outside looking in gives us no idea of what the prison life is like. The justice system needs to change and it needs t change soon. The letter itself tells all and the Protest being held Saturday will give you even more information. We the People can change the system along with the world. We have to stick together. Join us and support.

Green, Larissa D. "A Man Died Yesterday, & We Should All Be Talking About It." Refinery29. N.p., 20 Mar. 2014. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

MGP #4

Breaking News

Here on your local WRDJ Channel 7 News, we bring you the story of Troy Davis who was executed last night in Texas. Davis was convicted of killing off duty police officer, Mark MacPhail, on August 18, 1989. As we all know, the Davis Case has been the talk of the year. Troy Davis still, until his execution, claimed his innocence. Davis said to the family of MacPhail, “I did not kill your son, father, or brother and all I can ask id that you look deeper into this case so you really can finally see the truth,” before his death.

        

  Dozens of supporters of Davis, including the N.A.A.C.P., tried to get the Supreme court to reduce Davis’s sentence for the time being so the case could be reviewed. They also reached out to the prosecutor in the original case and asked him to persuade the original judge to rescind to the death order. One of the supporters even reached out to President Obama. The Innocent Project joined in on the act along with many others. Even with all those supporters, and a four hour delay, Davis was still executed.

        

  This execution rose about many different opinions and thoughts about if Troy Davis was really innocent. A record number of petitions were delivered to the board. To be exact, 630,000 were delivered. This case just may take a turn for different. Only time will tell. We will keep you updated on this story here on your very own WRDJ Channel 7 News.

Severson, Kim. "Davis Is Executed in Georgia." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Sept. 2011. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.

MGP #3

Personal Letter: Teresa Lewis Case

Henry K.

I honestly can’t believe what I seen with my own eyes today. The only thing that kept running through my head was “What about her illness?” I sat there as a tear rolled down her left eye. Teresa Lewis was being executed for the murder of her stepson and his father, her husband. Personally I think they should have reconsidered and just given her life in prison. Think about it: with her being mentally retarded she is easily manipulated. Her lover, Matthew Shallenberger, and his friend, Rodney Fuller, shot both the son and father while she sat in the kitchen. I believe that the young men found out that her husband was in the army and convinced her to go alone with the plan. She is mentally retarded for God’s sake! How can she come up with that plan by herself? I noticed I wasn’t the only person who thought the execution could have been a life sentence instead. The European Union asked to commute her sentence to life along with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad while he was in New York. It sickened me to watch this woman get executed while the two who were most likely behind the entire crime only got life sentences. I hope this never happens again. I sympathize with the victims’ family, indeed, but we all know she didn’t deserve the death row.

Glod, Maria. "Teresa Lewis Execution." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 24 Sept. 2010. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

MGP #1 Rewrite

Play by Play : Execution Day 

8 A.M. The prisoner, Robert Parker, is awaken to eat breakfast and watch TV or listen to the radio

9:15 A.M. He is allowed to shower

10 A.M. - 11 P.M. Visitation & Meals (by choice)

11:27 A.M. A visit from the children of the prisoner is made. They talk, cry, and hug for 4 hours.

5:13 P.M. The victim of the prisoner, Ashley Hill, parents sit to her apologies and condolences from Parker.

6:30 P.M. Parker receives his last meal: Steak, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Fried Chicken, Coca Cola, & Pecan Pie

8:45 P.M. Parker's ex-wife, Lina Parker, visits. They talk for exactly 2 hours and 15 minutes

12 A.M. Final Request

12:15 A.M. Parker's childhood friend and now minister Jason Dowls has a talk and shares prayer time with Parker for 30 minutes.

For the next 15 minutes Robert Parker sits quiet in his cell staring at the ceiling until 1:00 A.M.

1:00 A.M. The Warden and two guards escort Robert Parker to the chamber where he will be executed.

1:15 A.M. Parker is strapped down to the bed and the three IV's are hooked to his body

1:30 A.M. The witnesses are allowed to enter the witness room

1:40 A.M. Robert Parker's Final Statement: "To my family; Ashley's family; and God, I am very sorry for the crime and sin I committed. I deserve this and I hope, in time, you all forgive me. Holding a grudge will not make it any better on you."

1:45 A.M. The guards, all together, push the button to release the drug.

1:58 A.M. Low sobs are heard throughout the witness room

2:08 A.M. Robert Parker Is Pronounced Dead

Nifter Media Group. "What Happens on Execution Day? A Death Penalty Documentary."YouTube. YouTube, 24 Apr. 2009. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.