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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
    • Commutations Campaign
  • 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
  • 20 Years With No Executions
  • Blog
  • The Pledge
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Search NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Lynda Simmons: Collage

Learn more: People Most Proximate: Our Creativity

The message for me is that life and loss changes us most profoundly from the inside out. Grief is not something we get over; it’s not a one and done. Grief becomes a part of who we are and we can never go back to who we were. Grief is indeed a monster at times but it’s also a friend, a teacher, a liberator… It’s a lifelong journey, and as time passes we are gifted with the beauty that comes from the ashes. We have to be mindful as we travel the often hard path of transformation, learning to appreciate the process and knowing there is grace sufficient for the journey. May we live peacefully, love freely and forgive faithfully… as we move forward into the years.

lynda simmons

On July 25, 2004, Lynda Simmons’ son, Brian Eddie Colletti, was murdered, which began for Lynda a life-altering journey that continues to this day. Within a firm spiritual foundation, Lynda reaches out to others, shares her own experiences, advocates for Restorative Justice, and assists crime victims in their own healing process. She works with those citizens who are, or have been, incarcerated, with the hope of transforming our communities into a more tolerant and safe space for all.

Filed Under: Creative Expressions, People Most Proximate

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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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Outside Central Prison on Tuesday, we held vigil t Outside Central Prison on Tuesday, we held vigil to mark 20 years without an execution and to say let the last execution be the last. We're so grateful to everyone who joined us.
Today is a monumental day for North Carolina. It h Today is a monumental day for North Carolina. It has officially been 20 years since our state's last execution. Tonight, we're gathering in Raleigh to honor this milestone. 

We’ll be joined by Rabbi Sandra Lawson of Carolina Jews for Justice, Rev. Esther Hethcox of First Presbyterian Church in Durham, death row exonerees, murder victim family members, faith leaders from many traditions, and others whose lives have been directly touched by the death penalty.

We want to fill the sanctuary of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church and the walk to Central Prison with people who believe 20 years should become 30, 40, and forever. We hope you'll be one of them.

REGISTER: bit.ly/NCCADPVIGIL

We're also excited to share that this event will be livestreamed. Starting at 6:30 PM, you can watch the livestream at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpJ85yAhSx4
Twenty years after North Carolina's last execution Twenty years after North Carolina's last execution, there's a lot to talk about. We can’t wait for Beyond the Death Penalty: Symposium next Saturday in Durham.

We’ll spend the afternoon digging into some big questions: 
👉 What does the death penalty still cost us?
👉 What can we learn from people who were wrongfully sentenced to death?
👉 And where do we go from here?

We’ll hear from exonerees, murder victim family members, attorneys, scholars, directly impacted people, students, restorative justice experts, and more.

Saturday, August 22, 1-4 PM
Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Durham
REGISTER: bit.ly/nccadp-symposium (or at the link in our bio)

Join us for this free and public event!
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