The nation’s eyes were on Arkansas as it executed four people in 10 days in April, including holding the nation’s first double execution in almost two decades. The schedule drew national outrage, including 250,000 petition signatures delivered to the governor, intervention by victims’ family members, and celebrity involvement. Much of the attention has been on… Continue reading Arkansas’ execution spree highlights fallacy of our nation’s approach to violence.
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Constantly-changing situation over scheduled executions in Arkansas
On Monday, Arkansas officials planned to start an assembly line of executions – 8 in 10 days. After dozens of court challenges and an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, the first two executions were halted. But the state still hopes to carry out up to 5 executions before the end of next week, in order to… Continue reading Constantly-changing situation over scheduled executions in Arkansas
EJUSA helps lead discussions on violence and mass incarceration
Last week EJUSA participated in two collaborations addressing violence and mass incarceration, both hosted by our friends at Common Justice. The first was a panel of crime survivors at Common Justice’s conference, “Accounting for Violence: How to Increase Safety and Break our Failed Reliance on Mass Incarceration.” EJUSA was honored to get a shout on for… Continue reading EJUSA helps lead discussions on violence and mass incarceration
All Arkansas executions on hold, for now – a report from Little Rock
Yesterday was quite a whirlwind. The day started early with preparations for the rally and petition delivery at the Arkansas State Capitol and ended late in the evening with the announcement that all of the scheduled #8in10 executions had been put on hold. I spent the morning with our coalition partners, preparing over 150,000 petition… Continue reading All Arkansas executions on hold, for now – a report from Little Rock
Civil rights leaders weigh-in against scheduled executions in Arkansas
Local and national civil rights and racial justice leaders signed a letter to Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, calling on him to halt the series of executions scheduled in the coming weeks. EJUSA Campaign Strategist Mona Cadena was on hand at the Capitol to deliver the letter (left), which outlined the concerns the group has with the death… Continue reading Civil rights leaders weigh-in against scheduled executions in Arkansas
Prominent evangelical leaders urge Arkansas to halt scheduled executions
More than two dozen national Evangelical leaders called on Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to stop the upcoming “assembly line of executions.” Their letter, released today, described Easter as “a sacred day when Christians celebrate Christ’s triumph over death,” noting the “unfortunate timing” of the executions. Notable signers of the letter include many of EJUSA’s longstanding Evangelical partners and… Continue reading Prominent evangelical leaders urge Arkansas to halt scheduled executions
Meet Pastor Gwendolyn Cook, a fearless victim advocate for girls | NCVRW2017 profile
Imagine surviving human trafficking, sexual abuse, assault, domestic violence, and gang exploitation all before the age of 13. Pastor Gwendolyn Cook sees it every day. She is the founder and director of Women Walking in the Spirit (WWITS) Girls Mentoring Program in Camden, NJ. Her organization works with young girls returning from juvenile detention at… Continue reading Meet Pastor Gwendolyn Cook, a fearless victim advocate for girls | NCVRW2017 profile
EJUSA joins in discussion about race, police, and the community in Newark
EJUSA’s Police/Community Initiative on Trauma Informed Responses to Violence has been bringing together police officers, residents, survivors of violence, justice-involved citizens, social workers, and faith leaders to discuss the trauma that exists on both sides of the relationship between the police and community. More and more members of the Newark community are eager to participate in… Continue reading EJUSA joins in discussion about race, police, and the community in Newark
Floridians rally in support of state attorney who won’t seek the death penalty
Busloads of people from all corners of Florida descended on the state capitol in Tallahassee this morning for a “Rally in Tally” to show their support for State Attorney Aramis Ayala. Ayala announced earlier this month that she will not seek the death penalty during her tenure as the head prosecutor of Orange and Osceola… Continue reading Floridians rally in support of state attorney who won’t seek the death penalty
Bridge-building in an era of polarization
At a time when the world – and the country, especially – is so polarized, many are looking for leaders that can build bridges and cross the divide. EJUSA has been building these bridges for over 20 years, among law enforcement, crime survivors, Evangelicals, conservatives, and more. This month’s Harper’s Magazine takes an in-depth look… Continue reading Bridge-building in an era of polarization