JOIN US!
GFADP Day at the Capitol
supporting the bill to protect those with intellectual disabilities from death sentencing and execution
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
meet at Trinity United Methodist Church downtown Atlanta
Join GFADP and Partners for the 2025 Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, from 9am to 2pm.
Advocacy Days at the Georgia Capitol give us the chance to connect directly with our state leaders. They are a great opportunity for both new advocates and seasoned ones to have a real impact on our state's policies.
This year, we are advocating for a bill sponsored by Chairman Bill Werkheiser (R) protecting people with intellectual disabilities from death sentencing. This bill is supported by the Georgia Speaker of the House, Jon Burns.
Intellectual Disability and the Death Penalty
After the execution of an intellectually disabled man, Jerome Bowden, on June 24, 1986, Georgia legislators drafted and passed a bill to protect the intellectually disabled in Georgia from death sentencing. However, that legislation has not done what it set out to do. Georgia is now on the oopposite side of the coin: we are the true outlier of all states and even the U. S. Supreme Court. We do not protect people with intellectual disabilities from being executed. On March 20, 2024, the State of Georgia executed Willie Pye, who had an IQ of 68. We need to change the law so that no more Georgians with intellectual disabilities will be sentenced to death.
Find Your Legislator: Your Georgia state representative and state senator represent your district in the Georgia General Assembly. Additionally, it's important to know what committees they sit on and what bills they have sponsored in the past. Find your Senator and Representative online using Plural.
Parking is available in the deck next to Trinity United Methodist Church. There is wheelchair access from the parking deck to the church where we are meeting. There will be ASL translation. Please reach out to Cathy Harmon-Christian at 770-316-85
CALLING ALL FAITH LEADERS
Are you a Georgia Faith leader, or do you know one?
October 10th is World Day Against the Death Penalty.
This year, we are gathering faith leaders (ordained or not) at Central Presbyterian Church (across from the Georgia Capitol) at 9am for a morning of conversation, collaboration, strategic thinking, and action.
This time will be followed by a press conference on the steps of the Georgia Capitol at 12:30pm with Sen Rev Kim Jackson.
We affirm a collective statement of faith:
Twenty-two years on, where are we with death penalty abolition?
We must, and will, end the death penalty.
Multi-faith Event Steering Committee:
Cathy Harmon-Christian, PhD - Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (GFADP)
Joia Erin Thornton, MPA, MPP - faith leaders of color coalition (flocc)
Jayna Hoffacker - Georgia Catholics Against the Death Penalty (GCADP)
Archdeacon Carole Maddux - Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center (GIPPC)
GFADP is working to end capital punishment in Georgia and around the world. We are a strong, diverse, statewide, grassroots movement which:
Opposes individual executions;
Supports legislative initiatives aimed at reducing the application of the death penalty until it is ultimately abolished;
Protects the humanity of individuals on death row;
Educates our fellow Georgians about the death penalty;
Provides concrete action steps for individuals and groups.
Death Penalty Information Center's (DPIC) fact sheet on the death penalty:
Executive Director
M. Cathy Harmon-Christian, PhD
Contact information can be found HERE
GFADP IN ACTION!
You can call GFADP at (770) 316-8592 or email info@gfadp.org. We would love to connect with you!
GFADP is undergoing some website work! If things don't look quite right or a link is broken, you are welcome to contact us, but if you check back regularly, it will likely correct itself soon.