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NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Committed to ending the death penalty and creating a new vision of justice

  • Who We Are
    • Mission & History
    • Our Values
    • People Most Proximate
    • Coalition Members
    • Staff, Board, & Advisory Council
    • Our Funders
  • What We Do
  • Why End the Death Penalty?
    • Column 1
      • Racism
      • Innocence
      • Intellectual Disability & Mental Illness
    • Column 2
      • Public Safety
      • High Cost of Death
      • Waning Support
    • Column 3
      • Lethal Injection
      • Antiquated Sentences
      • Unfair Trials
  • Events
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Search NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

People Most Proximate: Our Creativity

Collage by Lynda Simmons

We cannot create justice without getting close to places where injustices prevail. We have to get proximate.”

BRYAN STEVENSON

Here, we share art, music, and creative writing by people directly impacted by the death penalty. For many, including those who have lost loved ones to violence, art is part of their healing journey. For those on death row, artistic expression is a way to find meaning and connection while living under the threat of execution. We are constantly amazed at the talent and resilience of people facing the most difficult circumstances.

Art & Illustrations

Scott Badgett: Drawing

Lynda Simmons: Collage

Cerron Hooks: Drawings of death row

Poetry & Creative Writing

George Wilkerson: Death row’s first ever talent show

James Jaynes: Poems

Robbie Lyons: I Am Not a Mad Man

Last Updated: August 24, 2023

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Contact

NCCADP Alternate Logo
NCCADP
3326 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.
Building D, Suite 201
Durham, NC 27707
noel@nccadp.org
919-404-7409

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Happy birthday to our dear friend, Henry McCollum! Happy birthday to our dear friend, Henry McCollum! 🎂

@mccollumhenry60 survived more than 30 years wrongfully convicted on North Carolina's death row before his exoneration in 2014. His courage and strength inspire us every day. 

May this year overflow with joy, Henry! 

First picture: Henry and Brenda Hooks at an NCCADP event in August 2025

Second picture: Henry and Vernetta Alston moments after his exoneration in 2014 (photo by Jenny Warburg)
Florida has executed Michael King. He was the 7th Florida has executed Michael King. He was the 7th person executed in the US and the 4th person killed by Florida in 2026.

#MichaelKing #NoMoreDeathRow #EndTheDeathPenalty #Florida
You're invited! Join us on Duke's East Campus on M You're invited! Join us on Duke's East Campus on Monday, April 6 for a screening of Racist Roots, a 25-minute film that uncovers the deep entanglement between white supremacy, racial terror lynching, and NC's death penalty. You'll hear from Ed Chapman, who was exonerated in 2008 after spending nearly 14 years wrongfully convicted on death row. 

When: Monday, April 6, 7-8:30 PM
Where: East Duke Building, Room 204B, Durham, NC 27708

Register at bit.ly/DukeRR2026 or at the link in our bio.
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