Hello everyone,

I hope this blog posting finds everyone out there doing well!

I wanted to share my experience about death row last week, but work at the Southern Center is incredibly busy and I haven't had time, so today's the day.

Last week, I went to one of Alabama's three death rows. I went to the one located in Atmore, Alabama. Though death row is located here, there are also prisoners in Atmore who have not been convicted of capital crimes. The trip there and back is equivalent to half of the drive to Boston from Atlanta (600 miles!). Yes, it was a long day!

I wanted to share some of my reflections with you about the entire experience. Some of this is based on the fact that my father worked at federal prisons his entire life and subsequently, I lived on prison reservations for a good chunk of my childhood. (A prison reservation is simply lower cost housing for prison employees.) So, I've seen quite a few prisons in my lifetime.

The first thing I noted was the physical condition of the prison. Half of the road leading up to the prison was paved and the other half was a dirt road. The paved road was replete with pot holes and made New York City's potholes seem mild. There was a tower right in front of the prison and there was no intercom system. So, we had to yell up to the guard and inform him we were visiting one of our clients. It was very strange. Once we got inside, I noticed the whole place just looked like it needed a good pressure washing. It just seemed very dirty, but perhaps that perception was colored by our purpose for the visit.

The entire trip was incredibly sad! One of the problems with the death penalty is that some people who are sentenced to it get emotionally and mentally tired of the appellate processes. As a result, they ask their support network (if they're lucky to have one) to help them end their lives sooner. I was unfortunately privvy to this sentiment and it made me feel an even greater sense of urgency to what the Southern Center stands for.

So, sorry that this blog is somewhat muddled, but my thoughts are all over the place after being able to put real faces and places to the death penalty. One thing is clear though, I am opposed to the death penalty and I am learning more and more about why I am not a fan. I will hopefully be sharing these reasons with you increasingly over the next few months of this coop.

Take care!