Student Conference

2013 Student Conference on the Death Penalty

The 7th Annual Student Conference on the Death Penalty took place at Lipscomb University in Nashville, on February 23. This year’s keynote speaker was Ray Krone, the 100th Death Row exoneree in the U.S. Ray served ten years in prison, including several on death row, for a crime he did not commit until DNA evidence finally identified the actual perpetrator.

The conference also included a Wrongfully Convicted Panel which included Ray Krone, Ndume Olatushani, and Paul and Joyce House. Students  also had the opportunity to hear from the Sharing Our Stories Panel of surviving family members of murder victims who will share painful journeys and opposition to the death penalty. Panel members included  James Staub, Patricia Earnhardt, Charles Strobel, and Cliff O’Sullivan.

It was a great conference and we hope to see you next year!

2012 Student Conference on the Death Penalty

The 6th Annual Student Conference on the Death Penalty at Middle Tennessee State University included keynote speakers, Mark Osler, a law professor, former federal prosecutor, and author of Jesus on Death Row, and Jeanne Bishop, a defense attorney, law professor, and the sister of Nancy Bishop Langert, who was murdered along with her husband and their unborn child in 1990.

The students then attended workshops before and after lunch, which included topics of mental illness and the death penalty, presented by Chris Slobogin, director of Vanderbilt Law School’s Criminal Justice Program; Sharing Our Stories with Hector Black, whose daughter was murdered in 2000; and the impact of the Troy Davis execution, which was facilitated by Ebony Brickhouse, a field organizer for Amnesty International who worked on Davis’ campaign.

Some of the attendees shared with us that the information they received and the discussions they had at this conference led them to re-evaluate their position on the death penalty. We are hopeful that they will return to their campuses empowered and inspired to educate others and work toward repeal of the death penalty!

2011 Student Conference on the Death Penalty

5th Annual Student Conference on the Death Penalty at Middle Tennessee State University included keynote speakers Nick and Amanda Wilcox opened the conference, addressing the nearly 180 conference attendees. Following the keynote address, students attended workshops, including Death Penalty 101, Mental Illness and the Death Penalty, and Sharing Our Stories: Murder Victims’ Families Speak . These workshops were facilitated by local experts from the field, as well as those who have been directly affected by the system, like Paul House – Tennessee’s second death row exoneree – and his mother, Joyce.

Thanks to all who participated in making the 2011 conference a big success!