Public events in Raleigh and Durham highlight a historic milestone as the state renews efforts to restart executions.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Liv Perkins-Davenport, Director of Communications & Development, (919) 404-7409, liv@nccadp.org
RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina will reach 20 years since its last execution on Aug. 18. During the anniversary week, the North Carolina Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty is hosting two public events reflecting on these past two decades while looking ahead to the future of capital punishment in the state.
The events come less than a year after legislation removed significant legal barriers to executions and restricted the timeline for post-conviction review in capital cases. Today, 123 people are on North Carolina’s death row, the fifth largest in the country.
What: Bearing Witness: Interfaith Service & Vigil
When: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Where: Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, 1801 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27605
Twenty years after North Carolina’s last execution, participants will return to the sanctuary where community members kept vigil on the night of Aug. 18, 2006. Following the service, attendees will walk by candlelight to Central Prison to hold a vigil. The names of all 43 people executed in North Carolina since 1977 will be read aloud.
What: Beyond the Death Penalty: Symposium
When: Saturday, Aug. 22, 1–4 p.m.
Where: Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4907 Garrett Rd, Durham, NC 27707
People directly impacted by the death penalty, including those who have lost loved ones to homicide, will join attorneys, advocates, and scholars to examine what two decades without an execution have meant for North Carolina and the choices now facing the state.
Media interviews with organizers will be available before both events. Those interested in scheduling interviews are encouraged to contact Liv Perkins-Davenport in advance.
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The North Carolina Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty is a statewide, grassroots collective of 28 partner organizations working to end the death penalty and advance a vision of justice that addresses harm without perpetuating it.
