Resources

Fact Sheet

VASMIE fact sheet on the SMI exclusion

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

Media

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