LifeLines for Death Row Inmates
20 Years of Reaching Out to American Prisoners
May 11, 2008 Marion Grace Woolley
This remarkable voluntary group was founded in1988 by Jan Arriens, a Quaker who, after watching a BBC documentary, Fourteen Days in May, was so moved by the dignity of one of the men about to be executed: Edward Earl Johnson, that he wrote to three inmates:
“They all replied, saying how much his letter had meant to them and how pleased they were to have their voices heard beyond the prison walls.” – LifeLines Website, "About"
At present there are around 50 women and 3,500 men on death row in the US. One member explained that her penpal has spent 15 years awaiting execution:
“It’s like a double punishment. Either the punishment is execution, or you make them serve a life sentence. He has now served a life sentence and they are still going to execute him. It doesn't make sense.” – LifeLines Member contributing to this article.
America has recently seen a seven-month halt to executions, firstly due to a challenge from two death row inmates who claimed that lethal injection was unconstitutional as it resembled "cruel and unusual punishment". This challenge failed but a greater problem now faces many states in that doctors are refusing to administer the death sentence, claiming that it is against the Hippocratic Oath to save lives, not take them. Nurses have come out in similar protest when it was suggested that they could take the role of doctors.
Why Write?
LifeLines is a British-based voluntary organisation but although the UK abolished the death penalty in 1969, many people will still find it hard to feel sympathy towards people who have been convicted in their own country of terrible crimes. Why should people care?
“Yes, people have done terrible things in their lives, but do we fix that by doing terrible things back or do we lead by example? Society needs to care, not just about its high-flyers, but also about those at the bottom of the pile. Many people on death row had terrible childhoods and have suffered a lot in their lives. This doesn’t justify what they might have done, but it helps us to understand something about ourselves and about society. I write because I want to understand.” – LifeLines Member contributing to this article.
Who Writes?
LifeLines membership boasts a diverse mixture of backgrounds from professionals to students and retirees. What they share in common is a love of writing letters and a sense of care towards death row prisoners.
When somebody joins LifeLines, their interests and background is taken into consideration when matching them up with one of the many inmates who have requested a penpal. There are always more inmates than members to write and a prisoner may wait many months or even years before finding a match.
How Does it Work?
There is an annual subscription fee of £20 for employed individuals and £10 for students and the unemployed. The money goes to helping the member-run organisation and provides each member with two quarterly copies of Wing of Friendship, the LifeLines magazine contributed to by writers and inmates. One copy is for the member, the other is for them to post to their penpal.
As well as the publication, members join a nation-wide support network including counselling services and national events and talks.
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