LifeLines

"Even with the knowledge of the crime my penfriend was convicted of, I see no ethical dilemma in upholding his humanity." What's it like writing to someone on death row? Read this article and find out! We're so grateful to our member, Noah, for sharing his experience.

We're deeply saddened by the news of Sunny Jacobs' death. Sunny was a great friend of LifeLines and past conference speaker. Her zest for life was infectious, and she did so much for others after surviving death row in Florida. You lifted our lives, Sunny. newstalk.com/news/house-fir…

The people our members write to on death row are no different but are given no chance to learn from their choices & the pain they caused, they're written off as far from ordinary, as monsters This is why our members' letters & emails are a lifeline, by recognising their humanity

Dr Adshed says she's struck by the ordinariness of people she meets who've done a horrible thing. 'And then...a terrible intersection of chance and choices that led up to the offence. Such that I usually feel that "there, but for the grace of God, go I".' bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0…

Thanks to @IanJSinclair & @uupeacenik for this article: "I hope more folks will join the LifeLines family, and provide a sense of dignity and belonging to men and women who have been abandoned, stripped of any semblance of worth. A letter is a life line". morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/cold…

"Comprehending and interpreting violence is part of our daily lives as citizens ... but I think we won't be able to do this if we over simply human violence and right off everyone who has killed or stalked or abused a child as a mindless monster".

Forensic psychiatrist Dr Gwen Adshed realised "people who kill were not mindless monsters who'd been born to kill or who had murderousness running through their minds ... more often they seemed to people like myself who struggle with shame and guilt". bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0…

Do go to the October 12th @Lifelines25 conference & consider joining: the folk writing to prisoners on death row is the positive thing that came out of the horror of Edward Earl Johnson's execution (14 Days in May)...

1 month to go until our Autumn Training: time to get your ticket! Hear from inspirational speakers, like exoneree Sunny Jacobs, learn from capital defense attorneys and mitigation specialists, and become eligible to apply for one of our US internships. amicus-alj.org/what-we-do/tra…

Two incredible speakers, one conference: Bill Breeden, longtime #deathpenalty activist and volunteer minister to Federal Death Row and @kerensahocken an award-winning forensic psychologist. Join us and explore what writing to someone on death row means. eventbrite.co.uk/o/lifelines-72…

@Amicus_ALJ @UN Thank you, as always, for all your support.

Friendship is something we often take for granted, so we use the @UN International Day of Friendship to remind ourselves how important it is. Joining the charity @LifeLines25 and becoming a penpal is a way to offer human connection to those deprived of it on death row.

@alastairmci @ionacommunity @ChurchTimes Thanks, that would be interesting. We're not familiar with that week but have no doubt Rosemary would have done a great job. Take care.

@LifeLines25 @ionacommunity @ChurchTimes US v. UK can very much be a thing. If I pick up any insight in asking folks here (Glasgow) I’ll try and let you know if I remember. Go well, and for context, I recently spent a week at Iona Abbey inputting some material to the Columba Week that Rosemary so eruditely led.

My friend Rosemary Power in Argyll - on death row penpals: "The kindness that I experienced is not unique. A new arrival receives a 'welcome bag' from the other inmates of anything they can contribute: toothpaste, chocolate, soap. The only way to repay kindness is to pass it on."

@alastairmci @ionacommunity @ChurchTimes Totally agree about 'prisoner', it still defines the person by their imprisonment, hence not using it unless really necessary for brevity. You're right, attitudes may well vary from place to place, US versus UK & so on. Thanks so much for sharing the article, much appreciated.

@LifeLines25 @ionacommunity @ChurchTimes Yes, prisoner works, but even that could be seen as demeaning, perhaps b’se it’s prison. A number of neighbours in a local community group have inside experience. I’ll ask their views. I’d guess attitudes may vary from place to place, but I note your point’s respectful intention.

@alastairmci @ionacommunity @ChurchTimes Interesting to see that research. We were inspired by this Marshall Project article. Like them, we recognise sometimes, like in titles, a one-word term may be needed: we use 'prisoner'. Mostly it's no problem to use 'person' or 'someone on death row' e.g. themarshallproject.org/2021/04/12/wha…

@LifeLines25 @ionacommunity @ChurchTimes I could see that possibility, though “mates” also suggests warmth. For myself, I’ll ask local opinion amongst folks with experience. At the same time, when I look at suggested alternatives in the academic literature - ntu.ac.uk/__data/assets/… - they do seem “wordy” for an article.

@alastairmci @ionacommunity @ChurchTimes A note on language: officially at LifeLines we're moving to people-first language and don't use 'inmate' as many involved with the criminal justice system find it dehumanising. We know Rosemary didn't intend that, language is a constantly evolving journey and we're all learning.

@alastairmci @ionacommunity @ChurchTimes We're very grateful to our member Rosemary for writing this piece about her experience and for raising awareness of what we do. If you would like to find out more or to join and make a big difference to someone's life please visit our website. lifelines-uk.org.uk

@celticguyva We're sorry to hear that, Jim. It seems to be fine now, from what we can tell. We've sent you a direct message, with huge apologies for the delay in responding.

Anthony Ray Hinton, LifeLines supporter and past conference speaker, was exonerated after 28 yrs on death row. This new musical work, on Sat 23 March @HackneyEmpire, is inspired by his autobiography. It's sure to be a powerful evening. 1/3 @VoxHolloway hackneyempire.co.uk/events/the-sun…

Join LifeLines and write to someone on death row, you can make a huge difference. As Albert, someone on the row, said of his pen friend "Ingrid has helped me keep my sanity". We have over 35yrs supporting our members. #HumanRights #befriending #volunteer lifelines-uk.org.uk

Sadly #racism like that experienced by Hinton exists in the stories of so many people on death row. People of colour are disproportionately given the #deathpenalty. Innocent or guilty, they're human beings who are more than the worst thing they've ever done. 2/3 #BlackLivesMatter