Resources

Fact Sheet

VASMIE fact sheet on the SMI exclusion

smi-coalition-fact-sheet-2016-11-30-final-pub.pdf

Media

Bill to ban death penalty for severely mentally ill clears GOP-controlled Va. Senate

The Washington Post (January 17, 2019)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/bill-to-ban-death-penalty-for-severely-mentally-ill-clears-gop-controlled-va-senate/2019/01/17/afe1981c-1a87-11e9-8813-cb9dec761e73_story.html

 

Ban on execution of mentally ill moves forward in Virginia Senate

Publication: The Daily Press (January 14, 2019)

https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-nws-death-penalty-20190114-story.html

 

It’s cruel but not unusual for Virginia to execute the seriously mentally ill

By Paul O’Shea

The Blue View (June 15, 2018)

http://blueview.org/2018/06/15/its-cruel-but-not-unusual-for-virginia-to-execute-the-seriously-mentally-ill/

 

Stop Executing the Severely Mentally Ill

By Dale M. Brumfield

Bacon’s Rebellion Op-Ed (January 3, 2018)

http://baconsrebellion.com/stop-executing-severely-mentally-ill/

 

Death Penalty for Mentally Ill Defendants?

By Damien Cabezas & Rhonda Thissen

Lynchburg News and Advance Op-Ed (December 17, 2017)

http://www.newsadvance.com/opinion/community_viewpoint/cabezas-and-thissen-death-penalty-for-mentally-ill-defendants/article_5124e1a4-e1e3-11e7-a0e8-970a8436d026.html

 

No solace in executing mentally ill killers

By Rachel A. Sutphin

Bristol Herald Courier Op-Ed (November 30, 2017)

http://www.heraldcourier.com/opinion/no-solace-in-executing-mentally-ill-killers/article_333e9161-2d89-5e1e-8711-0cd2b02f3d95.html

Gov. McAuliffe made an irreversible mistake

By Gene Rossi and Edward J. Ungvarsky

The Washington Post Op-Ed (July 21, 2017)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/gov-mcauliffe-made-an-irreversible-mistake/2017/07/21/294b0814-6800-11e7-8eb5-cbccc2e7bfbf_story.html?utm_term=.3cd0acf4e73c

Executing a severely mentally ill man would be an injustice

By Nicholas Cote

The Washington Post Op-Ed (June 16, 2017)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/executing-a-severely-mentally-ill-man-would-be-an-injustice/2017/06/16/75d6afac-4c68-11e7-bc1b-fddbd8359dee_story.html?tid=ss_fb&utm_term=.1d93912724d3

A Veteran’s Plea: Stop Executing People with Severe Mental Illness

By Dr. Frederick J. Frese, III, Ph.D.

Medium Op-Ed (June 12, 2017)

https://medium.com/@fredfrese/a-veterans-plea-stop-executing-people-with-severe-mental-illness-5f4520776d0a
There ought to be a death penalty exemption for the seriously mentally ill

By Liza Long

Idaho Stateman Op-Ed (April 19, 2017)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article145478329.html

Does the U.S Mentally Ill Americans Be Executed?  It’s Complicated

By Shaila Dewan

New York Times (April 11, 2017)

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/us/mental-illness-death-penalty.html

End the death penalty for mentally ill criminals

By Bob Taft and Joseph E. Kernan

Washington Post Op-Ed (March 24, 2017)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/end-the-death-penalty-for-mentally-ill-criminals/2017/03/24/f079674e-0506-11e7-b1e9-a05d3c21f7cf_story.html

An act of compassion for the mentally ill

By Rev. Richard Cizik

Virginian-Pilot Op-Ed (January 29, 2017)

http://pilotonline.com/opinion/columnist/guest/richard-cizik-an-act-of-compassion-for-the-mentally-ill/article_9c4b5438-a7a9-597c-8575-45d4d5fc4962.html

Severe Mental Illness and the Death Penalty

By Michael E. Stone

Jefferson Policy Journal (January 4, 2017)

http://www.jeffersonpolicyjournal.com/severe-mental-illness-and-the-death-penalty/

Severe mental illness and Virginia’s death penalty

By Brandon L. Garrett

Richmond Times-Dispatch Op-Ed (December 3, 2016)

http://www.richmond.com/opinion/their-opinion/guest-columnists/article_e08501ca-dfc3-52db-8e42-488046cc7948.html

Virginia must reform its approach to the death penalty and mental illness

By Dale Brumfield

Richmond Times-Dispatch Op-Ed (September 3, 2016)

http://www.richmond.com/opinion/their-opinion/guest-columnists/article_18f8b122-f1f1-503c-a8d7-0fcfb482f3e2.html

Resolutions

American Bar Association Mental Illness Resolution (2006)

http://www.americanbar.org/groups/committees/death_penalty_representation/resources/dp-policy/mental-illness-2006.html

American Psychological Association (January 2007)

http://www.apa.org/monitor/jan07/associations.aspx

Mental Health America: Death Penalty and People with Mental Illnesses (2011)

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/positions/death-penalty

National Alliance on Mental Illness

http://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Public-Policy/Death-Penalty

Reports

Serious Mental Illness Among U.S. Adults, National Institute of Mental Health (2014)

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/serious-mental-illness-smi-among-us-adults.shtml

Mental Health Issues among Adults and Adolescents, National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2014), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FRR1-2014/NSDUH-FRR1-2014.htm#idtextanchor073

Virginia Death Penalty Assessment Report (2013) – Recommendation in support of a severe mental illness exemption

https://vasmie.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/aba-study-of-va-dp-smi-execution-ban-recommendation-pp-392-394.pdf

Double Tragedies: Victims Speak Out Against the Death Penalty For People with Severe Mental Illness, National Alliance on Mental Illness (2009)

http://media.wix.com/ugd/267fcf_cf3df30f8d494cd593acc3cc3cc13286.pdf

Battle Scars: Military Veterans and the Death Penalty, Death Penalty Information Center (2015)

http://deathpenaltyinfo.org/files/pdf/BattleScars.pdf

The Execution of Mentally Ill Offenders, Amnesty International (2006)

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/AMR51/003/2006/en/

Legislation

Severe mental illness exemption legislation proposed in the 2017 General Assembly:

  • Legislative history

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=171&typ=bil&val=hb1522

  • Copy of bill

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?171+ful+HB1522+pdf

  • Fiscal Impact Statement

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?171+oth+HB1522F160+PDF

Severe mental illness exemption legislation proposed in the 2016 General Assembly:

  • Legislative history

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?161+sum+HB0794

  • Copy of bill

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?161+ful+HB794+pdf