The People vs. The Death Penalty Film Series
Death Penalty Action, in conjunction with Red Letter Christians and The Wonder Brothers, has been working for over a year to fund and produce a documentary series about the people impacted by the death penalty and those fighting to abolish it. We have created eight compelling mini-documentaries, each one focusing a single individual whose voice of experience on the death penalty exemplifies the common experience of many.
We plan to continue this series, and you can help. To support this project scroll down on how you can help with this crowd-funded effort.
EVENT OPPORTUNITY! You can schedule any of the people featured in these videos to come to your school, faith community or civic group by using this form.
The People vs. The Death Penalty Film Series
Death Penalty Action, in conjunction with Red Letter Christians and The Wonder Brothers, has been working for over a year to fund and produce a documentary series about the people impacted by the death penalty and those fighting to abolish it. We have created eight compelling mini-documentaries, each one focusing a single individual whose voice of experience on the death penalty exemplifies the common experience of many.
We plan to continue this series, and <a href="#support">you can help</a>. To support this project scroll down on how you can help with this crowd-funded effort.
EVENT OPPORTUNITY! You can schedule any of the people featured in these videos to come to your school, faith community or civic group by using this form.
RELEASED EPISODES
SueZann Bosler - The Daughter
SueZann Bosler works to stop executions and end the death penalty, and she does so from the unusual platform of having witnessed her father's murder and being stabbed and left for dead herself. In this brief film, SueZann shares how she and her father were attacked in their parsonage, and how she came to realize the healing power of forgiveness that was taught to her by her father, Rev. Billy Bosler, a Brethren minister.
SueZann is active in the Brethren Church. She is a co-founder of the Journey of Hope... From Violence to Healing, an organization led by murder victim family members opposed to the death penalty. She is also an Advisory Committee member of Death Penalty Action and active with Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
Support SueZann through her GoFundMe page.
Ron McAndrew - The Warden
Ron McAndrew works to stop executions and end the death penalty, and he does so from the unusual platform of having carried out executions in the name of the people of Florida. In this brief film, Ron shares how his role as an executioner shaped his life and turned him from a staunch advocate for executions to a leading voice against the death penalty. Ron is active in the Catholic Church and serves on the Advisory Committee for Death Penalty Action. He is also active with Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Ron no longer travels, but he may at times be available to share his powerful story virtually.
Support Ron and others through this GoFundMe page.
Derrick Jamison - The Innocent
Derrick Jamison works to stop executions and end the death penalty, and he does so from the unusual platform of having been wrongly sentenced to death for a crime he had nothing to do with. In this brief film, Derrick shares about how twenty years on Ohio's death row impacted him and his work to stop executions for both the innocent and the guilty. Derrick is a member of Witness to Innocence (bio here), an organization comprised of exonerated death row survivors and their families. He is also an Advisory Committee member of Death Penalty Action and active with Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, Ohioans to Stop Executions, and other organizations.
Support Derrick through his GoFundMe page.
Herman Lindsey - The Forgotten
Herman Lindsey leads Witness to Innocence (bio here), an important organization in the movement to stop executions and end the death penalty, from the unusual platform of having been wrongly convicted and sentenced to death. Herman spent three years on Florida's death row for a crime he had nothing to do with. In this brief film, Herman shares the traumatic impacts on him and those like him, and their families, and what we must do to stop such from happening again.
Roderick Reed - The Brother
Rodrick Reed is the brother of Rodney Reed, who on April 19, 2023, won a decision from the US Supreme Court to allow him to request that evidence in the case be tested for DNA. Rodney Reed is demonstrably innocent, and the Reed family is also waiting for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to decide whether to grant him a new trial based on the findings of an evidentiary hearing held in 2021. Learn more about the case of Rodney Reed at bit.ly/RRInnocent. In this brief video, Rodrick talks about the pain a family endures when their loved one faces execution, and how he uses that pain to try to help his brother and everyone else on death row, whether they are guilty or innocent.
Rodrick serves on the Advisory Committee of Death Penalty Action. Support Rodrick through his GoFundMe page.
Charles Keith - The Fight
Charles Keith is the brother of Kevin Keith, who at this publication on May 3, 2023, awaits a decision from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals as to whether his conviction will be thrown out and he will be grated a new trial. Kevin was 13 days from execution in 2010, when his death sentence was commuted to life without the possibility of parole. Kevin Keith is demonstrably innocent, and the Keith family has been waiting for him to come home. Learn more about the case of Kevin Keith at bit.ly/BringKevinHome. In this brief video, Charles talks about the pain a family endures when their loved one faces execution, and how he uses his 30+ years of experience working to free his brother to help other families with loved ones on death row, whether they are guilty or innocent.
Charles serves as the Impacted Communities Liaison for Death Penalty Action. Support Charles through his GoFundMe page.
Rick Halperin - The Professor
Professor Rick Halperin has been involved in efforts to stop executions in the United States and beyond since 1972. We know him as an enthusiastic supporter of highly visible nonviolent symbolic protest action, and a leading authority on the history of human rights and civil rights in the United States in particular. Rick did not hesitate to become a founding member of the Advisory Committee of Death Penalty Action, and he often joins Death Penalty Action's virtual execution vigils to provide nuanced commentary that can only come from a human rights historian and advocate. See his official bio here.
Lisa Brown - The Mother
Lisa Brown is the mother of Christopher Vialva, who was one of 13 federal prisoners killed during the federal execution spree in the final months of the Trump Administration. Lisa talks about Christopher's guilt, and the man he became during more than 20 years awaiting lethal injection. This mothers love for her child never faltered, and the pain of witnessing her son's execution remains. It's true what they say: When someone goes to prison, their family goes with them.
RELEASED EPISODES
SueZann Bosler - The Daughter
SueZann Bosler works to stop executions and end the death penalty, and she does so from the unusual platform of having witnessed her father's murder and being stabbed and left for dead herself. In this brief film, SueZann shares how she and her father were attacked in their parsonage, and how she came to realize the healing power of forgiveness that was taught to her by her father, Rev. Billy Bosler, a Brethren minister.
SueZann is active in the Brethren Church. She is a co-founder of the Journey of Hope... From Violence to Healing, an organization led by murder victim family members opposed to the death penalty. She is also an Advisory Committee member of Death Penalty Action and active with Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
Support SueZann through her GoFundMe page.
Ron McAndrew - The Warden
Ron McAndrew works to stop executions and end the death penalty, and he does so from the unusual platform of having carried out executions in the name of the people of Florida. In this brief film, Ron shares how his role as an executioner shaped his life and turned him from a staunch advocate for executions to a leading voice against the death penalty. Ron is active in the Catholic Church and serves on the Advisory Committee for Death Penalty Action. He is also active with Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Ron no longer travels, but he may at times be available to share his powerful story virtually.
Support Ron and others through this GoFundMe page.
Derrick Jamison - The Innocent
Derrick Jamison works to stop executions and end the death penalty, and he does so from the unusual platform of having been wrongly sentenced to death for a crime he had nothing to do with. In this brief film, Derrick shares about how twenty years on Ohio's death row impacted him and his work to stop executions for both the innocent and the guilty. Derrick is a member of Witness to Innocence (bio here), an organization comprised of exonerated death row survivors and their families. He is also an Advisory Committee member of Death Penalty Action and active with Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, Ohioans to Stop Executions, and other organizations.
Support Derrick through his GoFundMe page.
Herman Lindsey - The Forgotten
Herman Lindsey leads Witness to Innocence (bio here), an important organization in the movement to stop executions and end the death penalty, from the unusual platform of having been wrongly convicted and sentenced to death. Herman spent three years on Florida's death row for a crime he had nothing to do with. In this brief film, Herman shares the traumatic impacts on him and those like him, and their families, and what we must do to stop such from happening again.
Roderick Reed - The Brother
Rodrick Reed is the brother of Rodney Reed, who on April 19, 2023, won a decision from the US Supreme Court to allow him to request that evidence in the case be tested for DNA. Rodney Reed is demonstrably innocent, and the Reed family is also waiting for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to decide whether to grant him a new trial based on the findings of an evidentiary hearing held in 2021. Learn more about the case of Rodney Reed at bit.ly/RRInnocent. In this brief video, Rodrick talks about the pain a family endures when their loved one faces execution, and how he uses that pain to try to help his brother and everyone else on death row, whether they are guilty or innocent.
Rodrick serves on the Advisory Committee of Death Penalty Action. Support Rodrick through his GoFundMe page.
Charles Keith - The Fight
Charles Keith is the brother of Kevin Keith, who at this publication on May 3, 2023, awaits a decision from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals as to whether his conviction will be thrown out and he will be grated a new trial. Kevin was 13 days from execution in 2010, when his death sentence was commuted to life without the possibility of parole. Kevin Keith is demonstrably innocent, and the Keith family has been waiting for him to come home. Learn more about the case of Kevin Keith at bit.ly/BringKevinHome. In this brief video, Charles talks about the pain a family endures when their loved one faces execution, and how he uses his 30+ years of experience working to free his brother to help other families with loved ones on death row, whether they are guilty or innocent.
Charles serves as the Impacted Communities Liaison for Death Penalty Action. Support Charles through his GoFundMe page.
Rick Halperin - The Professor
Professor Rick Halperin has been involved in efforts to stop executions in the United States and beyond since 1972. We know him as an enthusiastic supporter of highly visible nonviolent symbolic protest action, and a leading authority on the history of human rights and civil rights in the United States in particular. Rick did not hesitate to become a founding member of the Advisory Committee of Death Penalty Action, and he often joins Death Penalty Action's virtual execution vigils to provide nuanced commentary that can only come from a human rights historian and advocate. See his official bio here.
Lisa Brown - The Mother
Lisa Brown is the mother of Christopher Vialva, who was one of 13 federal prisoners killed during the federal execution spree in the final months of the Trump Administration. Lisa talks about Christopher's guilt, and the man he became during more than 20 years awaiting lethal injection. This mothers love for her child never faltered, and the pain of witnessing her son's execution remains. It's true what they say: When someone goes to prison, their family goes with them.
FUNDRAISING TRAILER
SUPPORT THIS PROJECT
Individual donors and a few organizations contributed the funds that allowed us to make "The People vs. The Death Penalty," a mini- documentary series about people impacted by the death penalty who are active in the fight to end executions forever in the United States. Eight compelling mini-documentaries each have now been released.
We have set a new goal to raise at least $20,000 in order to support the next round of filming. In crowdfunding this we have some rewards planned for everyone who joins us in this effort to create this powerful series. * Raising funds here instead of Kickstarter/Gofundme means that we avoid thousands of $ in associated fees.
- Donations Over $18 - digital download of series
- Donations Over $50 - single film credit (+ digital download)
- Donations Over $100 - series credit (+ digital download)
- Donations Over $1000 - Associate Producer Credit, Advance Viewing (+ digital download)
- Donations Over $5000 - Executive Producer, Advance Viewing + Feedback Opportunity (+ digital download)
As of June 1, 2023, this project has a new $20,000 fundraising goal and you can donate with the button below. Please give generously!
* Donations are tax deductible. Checks can be addressed to Death Penalty Action, but please include a note on the memo line that it is for this project. Checks can be sent to P.O. Box 89, Ghent NY, 12075 USA
SPONSOR CREDITS
Executive Producer Credit Listing
Amnesty International USA's Death Penalty Action Fund
David D. Dodge Foundation
Shreya Mandal
Paul N.J. Ottosson
Associate Producer Credit Listing
Abolitionist Action Committee
Death Penalty Action
Red Letter Christians
Addo Sankofa
Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
1016 W, LLC
Series Credit Listing
Cheryl Avila, Dale Baich, Stanley Becker, Holly BennettJennifer Bjerke Lessard, Abraham Bonowitz, Joan Broek, Chris Brown, E.W. Browne, Suanna Bruinooge, Suzanne Burens, Shane Claiborne, Jessica Cohen, Margaret Collins, Alice Curtis, Denny Davis, Mark Deshon, Dominican Sisters of Houston Texas, Lenore Dowling, Deborah Dyson, Rev. Philip Egitto of Our Lady of Lourdes Church Daytona, Mary Fitzpatrick and Raymond Jones, Sandy Freese, Bob and Rachel Gross, Peggy Hannah, Heidi Haverkamp, Sue Hosch, Journey of Hope…From Violence to Healing, George Kain, Nadia Lazazi, Daniel Leader, Kelsey Liber, Chris Llwellyn, Charlotte and John Mulvihill, Kelley and Gary Nelson, Anne Posel, Robert Reed, Judith Rimbey, Patricia Rodriguez, Jane Sandsmark, Maureen Schmalzried (in memory of her brother Rev. Bernard Schmalzried), Steve Sears, Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Dubuque, Iowa, Kathryn Stephens, Liliane Sticher Siu, Colleen Tracy, Dean Triplett, Gabi Uhl, Dina Windle
Single Credit Listing
Sandrine Ageorges-Skinner, Adrienne Blando, Donna Boe, Bruce Bramlett, Joseph Carson, Ven. Thubten Chonyi, Michel Coconis, Bon Conway, Trisha Cooley, Dominique Courtois, Garth Devlin, Lenore Dowling, Douglas Dunlop, Bethany Dusenberry, Alexander Esche, Genevieve Franklin, Bruce Gray, Justine Hampson, M. Cathy Harmon-Christian, Francis J. Hensler, Thomas Lawrence, Sophie Mayoux, John Meszaros, J. Gary Nelson, Kelley Nelson, James Robertson, Chris Schmidt, Burton Steck, Cameron Stewart, Graeme Thompson, Denise Wallentinson