Author Archives: Marcelle
Death Penalty Not a Solution – a Letter to North Carolina Legislators from MVFR member Jean Parks
I am saddened by the legislation (SB306) recently filed in the NC Senate to resume executions, especially since the bill sponsor, Sen. Thom Goolsby, claims to be working to achieve justice for victims. Not all family members of murder victims feel like the death penalty is an effective tool for achieving justice for our loved [...]
Statement on Victims’ Needs, Capital Punishment and Racial Bias in Death Sentencing in Response to North Carolina Bill SB306
North Carolina can do better for families of homicide victims and all citizens than restarting executions. We can do better to restore confidence in our judicial process than removing a reform that is working. We need a serious conversation that leads to smart-on-crime solutions that better prevent violence, address the harms created by violence, help [...]
Join us for “The Cost of Violence: A Community Response” with Dorothy Johnson-Speight of Mothers in Charge March 26th and 27th!
The Cost of Violence: A Community Response Raleigh – March 26th Durham – March 27th Dorothy Johnson-Speight, Founding Director of Philadelphia-based Mothers in Charge, will speak on “The Cost of Violence: A Community Response” March 26th in Raleigh and March 27th in Durham. Dorothy experienced the cost of violence firsthand when her son was [...]
MVFR Response to New Death Penalty Bill in North Carolina.
Yesterday, the North Carolina Senate filed SB 306, a bill to repeal what’s left of the Racial Justice Act and restart executions in the state. Below is the statement MVFR released to the press in response to the bill. In the coming days we will keep you informed on developments, our activities connected to raising our [...]
MVFR’s press statement opposing Florida execution
The following statement was read at a press conference opposing the execution of Paul Howell who was sentenced to death in 1992 for the killing of Florida State Trooper Jimmy Fulford. MVFR advocates for replacing the capital punishment system with alternatives that better address the harms caused by murder and that build safer communities. Murder [...]
MVFR board member Judith Elane lifts murder victims’ families voices at Arkansas Senate hearing.
On Wednesday, January 30 2013, the Judiciary Committee of the Arkansas Senate held a hearing to examine the pros and cons of the death penalty. The Arkansas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (ACADP) coordinated speakers who told legislators why capital punishment is bad public policy for the state. MVFR board member Judith Elane was [...]
Save the Dates: National Crime Victim’s Rights Week and 3rd Annual NCVAN 5k run April 20-27, 2013
Founded in 1986, the North Carolina Victim Assistance Network (NCVAN) promotes the rights and needs of crime victims by educating North Carolina’s citizens and public policy leaders about the devastating impact that crime has on our society. NCVAN will again launch National Crime Victims’ Rights Week on April 20, 2013, with its 3rd Annual NCVAN 5K Stride [...]
Save the Dates! May 6-7 2013: Mothers In Charge National Conference on Violence Prevention and Behavioral Health
Following the tragic murder of her son Khaaliq Jabbar Johnson in 2001, Dorothy Johnson-Speight, MHS, LPC, founded Mothers in Charge, Inc. (MIC) along with other grieving mothers who had lost sons or daughters to violent crime. MIC is a grassroots organization whose mission is violence prevention through education and proactive intervention with children, young adults, families and [...]
MVFR Member, Kathy Dillon, Speaking on Saturday
On Saturday February 2nd MVFR Member, Kathy Dillon, will share about the tragic murder of her father – a state trooper killed in the line of duty when she was 14 years of age. Kathy will tell her story as she speaks on opposition to the death penalty in the context of respect for the sanctity of [...]
Exciting news for the campaign to replace capital punishment in Arkansas!
This Wednesday, January 30, the Judiciary Committee of the Arkansas Senate will hold a hearing to examine the pros and cons of the death penalty. The Arkansas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (ACADP) is helping coordinate speakers who will tell our legislators why capital punishment is bad public policy for the state. This hearing [...]