Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty (CCADP) is a not-for-profit organisation which was co-founded by Tracy Lamourie
and Dave Parkinson
of the Greater Toronto Area
. The couple formed the CCADP, not only to speak out against the use of capital punishment
around the world, but also in the hopes of educating and encouraging fellow Canadians to speak out against the occasional calls for a renewal of the death penalty within their own country
(Canada abolished the death penalty in 1976) in addition to urging the Canadian government to ensure fair trials and appeals, as well as adequate legal representation, for Canadians convicted of crimes abroad.The CCADP website ccadp.org also quickly evolved into a space where death row
inmates and their supporters could post their stories and seek contact with the outside world.
Since its creation in 1998, the CCADP has been involved in speaking with policy makers and media from around the world on the issue of capital punishment
and has also helped raise awareness for death row inmates, by distributing pamphlets, managing defence funds, researching legal information on their behalf, or by simply offering moral support to inmates and their families.
activists, Lamourie and Parkinson were especially inspired to form the coalition after learning of the plight of death row inmate Jimmy Dennis jimmydennis.org. After further research into the state of capital punishment in the US, they also took on the cause of Canadian citizen Stan Faulder, who was convicted of murder and was awaiting execution in the state of Texas.
, was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1991 shooting of 17 year old Chedell Williams. Jimmy Dennis has been on death row since 1992 and as of 2008 his case is still on appeal.
The CCADP, along with other advocates around the world, have rallied around Dennis’s cause. After having studied the evidence in the case against Dennis, his supporters believe that he has been wrongly-accused of this crime, much of which has been outlined on a website created to promote his cause, jimmydennis.org.
Criticisms of his conviction include discrepancies between eye-witness accounts and Dennis’s physical appearance, the fact that the witnesses were not shown a photo line-up until several days after the crime took place, a witness against Dennis who has since recanted his testimony and that the angle of the bullet wound which suggested that the murderer was as tall as or taller than the victim (Chedell Williams was 5'10"; Jimmy Dennis is 5'4".) Dennis’s supporters also point out that he lacked a motive for robbery and murder, given that he was Jimmy was looking forward to the birth of his daughter, and was also a member of an up-and-coming musical group called "Sensation."
Stories about Jimmy Dennis’s situation have appeared in media around the world, as well as on websites in several different languages.
The CCADP made headlines in 1998 after proposing a tourist boycott of Texas in reaction to Faulder’s pending execution. The CCADP also joined an international delegation of concerned citizens, whose ranks included Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Canadian Liberal
foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy
and US Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright
, who asked then Texas
Governor
George W. Bush
to grant a 30-day reprieve and a full clemency review of Faulder's case.
In reaction to this call-to-action, Bush was quoted by the Associated Press
as saying "No one is going to threaten the governor of the state of Texas.” Bush also said he saw "no new evidence that questions the jury's verdict that he is guilty of this crime," and refused to use his authority to grant a clemency review. Fauder was eventually executed in 1999.
but also provides a space where death-row inmates and their supporters can post their stories as well as personalised items such as photos, artwork and poetry. Their site also assists inmates to remain in touch with friends and family who may not be able to accept collect calls over the phone and by supplying them with stamps for written correspondence. Prisoners can also solicit for pen pals.
In most states, inmates do not have Internet or e-mail access. For many, this site is their only link to the outside world.
As of 2005 the site had hosted over 500 death row inmate pages.
In 2005 the CCADP website was once again in the news when it was reported that the coalition had posted a web site for convicted killer Scott Peterson
. During that August of that year, both Lamourie and Parkinson were busy making appearances on various television and radio programmes across North America
, including Catherine Crier
Live on Court TV
, The Abrams Report
on MSNBC, The BIG Story
and Fox News Live
on the Fox News Channel
, The Michael Coren Show
on CFRB AM 1010 in Toronto ON, and McIntyre in the Morning - Talkradio 790 KABC AM
- Los Angeles, California, just to name just a few.
In various interviews, Lamourie and Parkinson have stated that the CCADP "doesn't concern itself with questions of guilt or innocence, only the humane treatment of people." They have also pointed out that the CCADP is not promoting the causes of all convicted felons, and that they are only concerned with those on death row. The CCADP has no web pages for people doing life, nor, for example, for any convicts in their own country since Canada has no death penalty.
The CCADP co-founders have also stated in interviews that they understand the grief that their site might cause for victims as well as their friends and family, and that inmates who have pages posted on their site may very well be guilty of the crimes for which they were imprisoned; Lamourie was also quoted by the Associated Press
as saying that she was “sorry for any added stress or pain (ccadp.org) causes victims.”
from using a third party to post information on the internet about their cases on the basis that such a law infringed on the prisoners’ First Amendment
rights.
"They're sentenced to death, they're not sentenced to silence," said CCADP co-founder Tracy Lamourie.
Tracy Lamourie
Tracy Lamourie is a long time human rights activist and a director and co-founder of the Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty. Lamourie's work with the coalition resulted in a direct rebuke from Governor George W. Bush in 1999 over the threat of an international tourist boycott of Texas...
and Dave Parkinson
Dave Parkinson
Dave Parkinson is the director and co-founder of the Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty. Parkinson's work with the coalition resulted in Governor George W Bush being invited to the execution of Shaka Sankofa in 2000....
of the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
. The couple formed the CCADP, not only to speak out against the use of capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
around the world, but also in the hopes of educating and encouraging fellow Canadians to speak out against the occasional calls for a renewal of the death penalty within their own country
Capital punishment in Canada
Capital punishment in Canada dates back to 1749. Before Canada eliminated the death penalty for murder on July 14, 1976, 1,481 people were sentenced to death, with 710 executed. Of those executed, 697 were men and 13 were women. The only method used in Canada for capital punishment in nonmilitary...
(Canada abolished the death penalty in 1976) in addition to urging the Canadian government to ensure fair trials and appeals, as well as adequate legal representation, for Canadians convicted of crimes abroad.The CCADP website ccadp.org also quickly evolved into a space where death row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
inmates and their supporters could post their stories and seek contact with the outside world.
Since its creation in 1998, the CCADP has been involved in speaking with policy makers and media from around the world on the issue of capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
and has also helped raise awareness for death row inmates, by distributing pamphlets, managing defence funds, researching legal information on their behalf, or by simply offering moral support to inmates and their families.
Origins
Tracy Lamourie and Dave Parkinson formed the CCADP in May 1998 after researching the death penalty in the US as well as the conditions of some of the country’s prisons. Already long time human rightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activists, Lamourie and Parkinson were especially inspired to form the coalition after learning of the plight of death row inmate Jimmy Dennis jimmydennis.org. After further research into the state of capital punishment in the US, they also took on the cause of Canadian citizen Stan Faulder, who was convicted of murder and was awaiting execution in the state of Texas.
Campaign for Jimmy Dennis
Jimmy Dennis, a citizen of Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1991 shooting of 17 year old Chedell Williams. Jimmy Dennis has been on death row since 1992 and as of 2008 his case is still on appeal.
The CCADP, along with other advocates around the world, have rallied around Dennis’s cause. After having studied the evidence in the case against Dennis, his supporters believe that he has been wrongly-accused of this crime, much of which has been outlined on a website created to promote his cause, jimmydennis.org.
Criticisms of his conviction include discrepancies between eye-witness accounts and Dennis’s physical appearance, the fact that the witnesses were not shown a photo line-up until several days after the crime took place, a witness against Dennis who has since recanted his testimony and that the angle of the bullet wound which suggested that the murderer was as tall as or taller than the victim (Chedell Williams was 5'10"; Jimmy Dennis is 5'4".) Dennis’s supporters also point out that he lacked a motive for robbery and murder, given that he was Jimmy was looking forward to the birth of his daughter, and was also a member of an up-and-coming musical group called "Sensation."
Stories about Jimmy Dennis’s situation have appeared in media around the world, as well as on websites in several different languages.
Campaign for Stan Faulder
In 1977 Stan Faulder, a Canadian citizen, was convicted in the state of Texas for the beating and stabbing death of 75 year-old Inez Phillips. Faulder never denied his involvement in the crime, but his supporters argued that his rights were violated because he was never informed by state officials that he was allowed to contact Canadian consular officials. Also contrary to international law, the Canadian government had not been advised that the Canadian citizen had been sentenced to death.The CCADP made headlines in 1998 after proposing a tourist boycott of Texas in reaction to Faulder’s pending execution. The CCADP also joined an international delegation of concerned citizens, whose ranks included Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, Canadian Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy
Lloyd Axworthy
Lloyd Norman Axworthy, PC, OC, OM is a prominent Canadian politician, statesman and University President from Manitoba. He is best known for having served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien...
and US Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Korbelová Albright is the first woman to become a United States Secretary of State. She was appointed by U.S. President Bill Clinton on December 5, 1996, and was unanimously confirmed by a U.S. Senate vote of 99–0...
, who asked then Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to grant a 30-day reprieve and a full clemency review of Faulder's case.
In reaction to this call-to-action, Bush was quoted by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
as saying "No one is going to threaten the governor of the state of Texas.” Bush also said he saw "no new evidence that questions the jury's verdict that he is guilty of this crime," and refused to use his authority to grant a clemency review. Fauder was eventually executed in 1999.
CCADP website
Along with the creation of the CCADP came the launch of their website, ccadp.org. The site not only addresses the issues of capital punishmentCapital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
but also provides a space where death-row inmates and their supporters can post their stories as well as personalised items such as photos, artwork and poetry. Their site also assists inmates to remain in touch with friends and family who may not be able to accept collect calls over the phone and by supplying them with stamps for written correspondence. Prisoners can also solicit for pen pals.
In most states, inmates do not have Internet or e-mail access. For many, this site is their only link to the outside world.
As of 2005 the site had hosted over 500 death row inmate pages.
Criticisms
The coalition has received criticisms from grieving victims and their families as well as other death-penalty proponents who do not agree with giving assistance to those convicted of crimes worthy of the death penalty. Some of these critics include:- Ted Hires, founder of the Justice Coalition, a victims' right group in Jacksonville Florida once stated that the existence of websites such as ccadp.org “inflicts cruel and unusual punishment on the victims' families."
- East Baton Rouge Assistant District Attorney John Sinquefield, who has prosecuted death penalty cases stated that he believed that the creators of ccadp.org were “just misguided individuals," and that they were “intervening in something that's not really their business." Sinquefield added: "I think they should stay in Canada. I'm sure there's plenty of criminals up there to keep them busy."
- Anthony Nunnciato of Laurel Lake, New JerseyLaurel Lake, New JerseyLaurel Lake is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Commercial Township, in Cumberland County, New Jersey. It is part of the Vineland-Millville- Bridgeton Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area for statistical purposes...
, was quoted as saying “It's amazing that these people want to give these free Web pages to convicted murderers…I wonder if they'd feel the same way if it was their wife or their mother who had their brains blown out.” Nunnciato’s brother, Wilmington gun shop owner Thomas Smith, was shot to death by in a 1996 robbery.
In 2005 the CCADP website was once again in the news when it was reported that the coalition had posted a web site for convicted killer Scott Peterson
Scott Peterson
Scott Lee Peterson , an American, was convicted of murdering his wife, Laci Peterson, and their unborn child in Modesto, California, in 2002. Peterson's arrest and subsequent trial dominated the American news media until 2005, when he was sentenced to death by lethal injection...
. During that August of that year, both Lamourie and Parkinson were busy making appearances on various television and radio programmes across North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, including Catherine Crier
Catherine Crier
Catherine Jean Crier is an American television personality and a former district court judge.-Life and career:Crier was born in Dallas, Texas in 1954 to William and Ann Crier and has two sisters. Crier graduated from Richardson High School and University of Texas at Austin, from which she earned...
Live on Court TV
Court TV
truTV is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Time Warner. The network launched as Court TV in 1991, changing to truTV in 2008...
, The Abrams Report
The Abrams Report
The Abrams Report was an American television program on MSNBC, focusing on legal and tabloid issues....
on MSNBC, The BIG Story
The Big Story
The Big Story, which debuted in 2000, was an American news/talk television program on the Fox News Channel, hosted by John Gibson and Heather Nauert weekdays. It was taken off in March 2008, replaced with America's Election Headquarters, an hour of news related to the 2008 United States...
and Fox News Live
Fox News Live
Fox News Live was an American news/talk television program, the hard-news daytime programming of the Fox News Channel. In addition, it also referred to the short headline segments of nearly every hour daily.-About:...
on the Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, The Michael Coren Show
The Michael Coren Show
The Michael Coren Show is an hour-long Ontario-based panel show hosted by Michael Coren which deals with current events and social issues. It aired weeknights on the Crossroads Television System, a multi-faith television network with affiliates in Ontario and Alberta...
on CFRB AM 1010 in Toronto ON, and McIntyre in the Morning - Talkradio 790 KABC AM
KABC (AM)
KABC is a Los Angeles radio station, and a West Coast flagship station for the Cumulus Media company. A pioneer of the talk radio format, the station went "all-talk" in 1960 and was one of the first stations to do so...
- Los Angeles, California, just to name just a few.
In various interviews, Lamourie and Parkinson have stated that the CCADP "doesn't concern itself with questions of guilt or innocence, only the humane treatment of people." They have also pointed out that the CCADP is not promoting the causes of all convicted felons, and that they are only concerned with those on death row. The CCADP has no web pages for people doing life, nor, for example, for any convicts in their own country since Canada has no death penalty.
The CCADP co-founders have also stated in interviews that they understand the grief that their site might cause for victims as well as their friends and family, and that inmates who have pages posted on their site may very well be guilty of the crimes for which they were imprisoned; Lamourie was also quoted by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
as saying that she was “sorry for any added stress or pain (ccadp.org) causes victims.”
Overturning of Arizona House Bill 2376
In December 2002, with the assistance of the ACLU, the CCADP was successful in overturning legislation that prevented prisoners in ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
from using a third party to post information on the internet about their cases on the basis that such a law infringed on the prisoners’ First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
rights.
"They're sentenced to death, they're not sentenced to silence," said CCADP co-founder Tracy Lamourie.
See also
- Capital punishment debateCapital punishment debateThe use of capital punishment, frequently known as the death penalty, is highly controversial.-Retribution:Supporters of the death penalty argued that death penalty is morally justified when applied in murder especially with aggravating elements such as multiple homicide, child murder, torture...
- Use of capital punishment by nation
- Wrongful executionWrongful executionWrongful execution is a miscarriage of justice occurring when an innocent person is put to death by capital punishment, the "death penalty." Cases of wrongful execution are cited as an argument by the opponents of capital punishment....