Organizing Kit
Develop a mission statement. What is the focus of your group or chapter? Use NYADP's as an example.
If you are a student, find a faculty advisor.
Learn about your state's attitude toward the death penalty. Contact your state abolitionist organization. Ask what projects your group could work on.
Recruit new members. Flyer in your community in an eye-catching and interesting manner. Include a contact e-mail for people who want more information. Announce when meetings are held.
Collect signatures on petitions. Set up an informational table in a central location. Play music to attract attention. Get an email address for each signer. Send bi-weekly announcements and updates to a list of these addresses. You can set up a free e-mail list on Yahoo groups. Mail signed petitions to NYADP.
Visit other political and/or progressive organizations in your school or community. Introduce your group to them and pass around a sign-up sheet for people who want more information. Arrange to meet with the president of the other organization and make a brief introduction. Bring informational material with you.
Site Tools
Printer-FriendlyNew York Student Contacts
Alex Lesman
Brooklyn Law Students Against the Death Penalty
Valerie Gotlib
Skidmore College
Liliana Segura
Campaign to End the Death Penalty, New York City Chapter
Amiel Melnick, Columbia University
Amnesty International Firefly Project
Laura Porter
New Yorkers Against the Death Penalty, Staff Organizer
Josh Noble
ACLU Student Coordinator for Capital Punishment Initiative
Gail Abbey
NYU Law Students Against the Death Penalty
Dorothy McDonald
CUNY Law School
John Jay College
Angelos G. Giotis
212-330-8042
Internships
If you are interested in interning with NYADP, please contact David Kaczynski.
Equal Justice USA, the American Civil Liberties Union, the New York Civil Liberties Union, The Nation magazine, and Amnesty International also have internship programs.
Students Against the Death Penalty
www.studentsagainstthedeathpenalty.org
This is a national website connecting students across the country who oppose capital punishment. They provide resources, organize regional student conferences, and more! Check it out!
Start Your Own Chapter
Need help starting your own chapter? Follow the guidelines at the right.
Cultural Resources on the Death Penalty
Do you have a paper to write on the death penalty? Are you preparing for a debate? Check out these books, art projects, and movies on the death penalty.
Personal Testimony
Learn about people who have been directly affected by the death penalty -- exonerated inmates, family members of murder victims, and family members of inmates.