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Ashley Abraham
COMM 535Beat Proposal
September 4, 2012
Thirty-three U.S. states allow for the death penalty; of those,
13 states have active
legislation that would abolish the death penalty indicating a
move away from capital
punishment. Moreover, a 2011 Gallop Poll,
(http://www.gallup.com/poll/1606/death-penalty.aspx) shows that
support for the death
penalty is at a 40 year low. The introduction of state
legislation and the decline in support
for the death penalty creates an opportune moment for
investigating its role in the United
States today. My background in death penalty issues, previous
relationships with
organizations, and proven dedication to the issue have prepared
me to undertake this topic.
I propose to use resources available to me to provide an
analysis of the current political
state of capital punishment, the social issues embedded within
and attitudes toward the
death penalty in America.
Since 1973, 140 people have been fully exonerated. This does not
include the
inmates that have been released but not cleared of their crimes
and the numerous others
who remain imprisoned but who have been granted clemency.
Scientific advancements in
DNA sequencing, arson science and other forensic technologies
have made this possible.
However, other inadequacies are persistent in the administration
of the death penalty.
Despite the Supreme Court Ruling in Atkins v. Virginia in 2002
that protects
people with intellectual disabilities from the death penalty,
states routinely execute those
with an I.Q. of less than 70 and those with mental illnesses.
This common practice goes
without notice.
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It is also imperative to examine issues of prosecutorial
misconduct, negligence,
racial discrimination and the efficacy of lethal injections.
Several states have
acknowledged these issues though executions proceed as
scheduled.
Misinformation and a lack of information are two driving factors
behind support
for the death penalty. My inquiry into capital punishment began
several years ago. At
that time I was not immune to this sort of ignorance. After
having the opportunity to
interview Melinda Elkins-Dawson, I began to understand the
importance of fairly
evaluating the death penalty. Dawson is at once a family member
of a murder victim, the
wife of a convicted murderer and an outspoken advocate against
the death penalty. Her
husband Clarence was convicted of murdering her mother. After
Dawsons personal
investigative work, Clarence was released from prison. She
inspired me to educate myself
and to care about this issue that is so easily disregarded.
Since that time I have been active as an advocate against the
death penalty. After
meeting with Dawson, a colleague and I decided to develop a TV
pilot that explored the
death penalty and those affected by it. I have also been
involved with the Ohioans to Stop
Executions (OTSE) and look for new opportunities to become
involved whenever possible.
I have several contacts within OTSE, including the director
Kevin Werner.
Through my involvement with this organization, I have contact
with Ohio Representative
Ted Celeste who introduced H.B. 160, a bill to abolish the death
penalty in Ohio. I have
also had the opportunity to meet Sister Helen Prejean, famous
for the movie Dead Man
Walking which chronicles her involvement with a death row
inmate. She and I remain in
contact through Facebook. Melinda Elkins-Dawson remains a friend
and colleague and
her contacts with the Innocence Project and murder victims
families are open to me.
