Our Mission

The Mission of South Carolinians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty is to abolish the death penalty and catalyze criminal justice reform in South Carolina.

Our Vision:

1.Rehumanize

To Learn more about our Pen-pal program and host writing workshops!

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2.Mobilize

To Request a presentation or connect to the SC Justice Partners

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3.Advocate

To track advocacy campaigns and current legislation!

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4.Restore

To Learn more about life-giving alternatives we are working towards

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South Carolina Victim Families: Tell Gov. McMaster to Stop Executions!

Corrections Professionals: Tell Gov. McMaster to Stop Executions!

In a surprise video aired at DePaul University today, Pope Leo XIV offered a powerful statement in support for those who advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in the United States. Link below provided by our friends at Catholic Mobilizing Network:
https://catholicsmobilizing.org/pope-leo-boosts-u-s-efforts-to-abolish-the-death-penalty-with-inspiring-video-message/

UPDATE: Our event with Professor Corinna Barrett Lain in Charleston on April 24, 2026 is postponed. Stay tuned for a future scheduled talk at Blue Bicycle in the Fall!

This Sunday, April 26, 2026, we are excited to welcome Professor Corinna Barrett Lain of University of Richmond School of Law to talk about her faith journey behind the writing of "Secrets of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection." Books will be available for sale after the talk. You can catch her testimony at the following location:

Player Hall @ 9:45am
Shandon United Methodist Church
3407 Devine Street
Columbia, SC 29205

See you there!

Join us TOMORROW, Tuesday, April 21 from 6-7 p.m. ET via Zoom for our monthly organizing meetup! You are welcome to attend regularly or drop-in when you have ideas and time to engage. Each session will offer tools and strategies for grassroots organizing as well as updates and opportunities for taking action. This month, in addition to campaign updates, we will be debriefing Second Chance Day and turn our attention to the Palmetto Journey of Hope. We suggest you attend an info session or have some familiarity with the work of SCADP in advance of joining this group, but it’s not required. Whether you’re a seasoned activist or just getting started, we need you! Go to scadp.org/organizing-meetups to register for free!

ACTION ALERT: Prevent state governments from expediting executions!

The Trump Administration has just proposed a new rule to make it easier for states to rush through the execution process--all while denying people certain constitutionally-protected rights and risking executions of innocent people. We have until May 15th to object to this rule and try to stop it in its tracks!

Will you please take a few minutes now to submit a public comment saying you object to this reckless proposal? Link here and in comments below!

https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/DOJ-OAG-2026-0034-0001

Next week, we have two events coming up with Corinna Barrett Lain!

📕📖April 23 @ 6pm: A Book Talk and Signing, featuring Professor Jessica Moeller from the Charleston Law School at Blue Bicycle Books in Charleston (420 King St.
Charleston, SC 29403)

📚💒April 26 @ 9:45am: The story behind the writing of "Secrets of the Killing State" at Shandon United Methodist Church in Columbia (3407 Devine St, Columbia, SC 29205)

See you next week! And don't forget to bring a friend!

HUGE thanks to everyone who made Second Chance Day a success, esp. Jerry Blassingame from Soteria CDC, Dr. Vanessa Harris from the BEST Lives Center at Benedict College, William Harrison from New Creation Re-Entry Program, and Jenn Jeanquart from Turn90! https://wach.com/news/local/second-chances-are-a-real-thing-sc-second-chance-day-brings-dozens-to-state-house

Join SCADP and the SC Justice Partners Coalition as we got to the SC State House to discuss legislation impacting returning citizens and their families! Here's a tentative schedule of what you can expect on Second Chance Day:

➡ 9:30am-10:45am: Arrival | Registration | Receive "Welcome Packets" | Orientation to the Day on the Front Lawn of the SC State House (North Side, facing Gervais Street)
➡ 11am: Press Conference in the 1st Floor Lobby of the State House
➡ 12pm: Free lunch on the Front Lawn of the SC State House (North Side, facing Gervais Street)
➡ 12pm-3pm: Connecting with Legislators on the 2nd Floor Lobby of the SC State House
➡ 3pm: Adjourn | Travel home

PLUS:
🖐🏾✋🏻✋An "Ask A Returning Citizen" Booth
🗳 A Voter Registration Booth (especially for returning citizens who need to restore their right to vote!)
📄Information about Re-Entry Partners
👕FREE T-SHIRTS!

Register at: https://www.scadp.org/event-details/second-chance-day-at-the-sc-statehouse

We are less than 30 minutes away from our "Intro to Lobbying" Presentation for tomorrow's Second Chance Day at the SC Statehouse! We'll see you at 6pm tonight (April 14, 2026)! Link in the comments!

https://www.scadp.org/event-details/introduction-to-lobbying-training-for-second-chance-day-1

On Easter Sunday, Roman Catholic Bishop Oscar Cantú advocated for the commutation of California's death row. Bishop Oscar Cantú is bishop of the Diocese of San José and president of the California Catholic Conference. Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/article315265447.html

The Oregon Justice Resource Center welcomes friends of SCADP to join their one-day gathering in downtown Portland for everyone wanting learn about and support the ending of the use of solitary confinement in Oregon prisons. At this event, you’ll hear from advocates, experts, and formerly incarcerated people. You'll be exploring the evidence for the physical and psychological harm that solitary does to people, learn about the human costs of isolation, and discover the solutions that can take us to a place of healing and hope.

This event is everyone who wants to learn, whether you already have knowledge of solitary confinement or whether you are new to the issue. They'll explain how you can get involved with ending solitary in Oregon prisons and providing a rare opportunity to hear for yourself what formerly incarcerated people have gone through while in solitary in Oregon.

Interested in sponsoring this event? View their sponsorship menu or contact their Director of Engagement Ali King at aking@ojrc.info.

https://www.ojrc.info/solitary-conference

On this Good Friday, we give thanks for our colleague at Catholic Mobilizing Network, Emmjolee Waters-Mendoza, and her reflection on what this day means for Christians observing this day. Link below and in comments:
https://catholicsmobilizing.org/reflections/good-friday-who-will-you-be/

As SCADP works to abolish the death penalty, we are advocating for more robust support of victim families and survivors of violence.

If you are a murder victim family member or a survivor of violence with connections to South Carolina, SCADP invites you — only if and when it feels right — to read and sign our letter to Governor Henry McMaster urging him to end the death penalty in our state.

If you do not have this lived experience but know someone with South Carolina connections who has survived violence or lost a loved one to homicide, we encourage you to forward this post to them.

Click the link below or go to bit.ly/VictimFamiliesSC to sign the letter!

Interested in learning about the death penalty from a conservative, pro-life lens? Check out this Conservatives Concerned webinar featuring Catherine Glenn Foster, President and CEO of First Rights Global and a Board Member for SCADP! Link in comment below!

https://conservativesconcerned.org/webinar-the-pro-life-perspective-on-the-death-penalty/

James Broadnax did not kill anyone. Texas is planning to execute him anyway on April 30. Here's what you need to know:

🔹 The actual shooter (James's cousin, Demarius) recently admitted he did it. He's serving life in prison. James shouldn't be on death row.

🔹 Demarius's DNA was found on the murder weapon and on one of the victims. The evidence is clear.

🔹 James's trial was tainted by racial bias. Prosecutors removed ALL Black jurors from the jury pool. James was convicted by a nearly all-white jury in Dallas County.

🔹 Prosecutors used rap lyrics James wrote as a teenager as evidence of “future dangerousness”. They exploited racist stereotypes about Black music and transformed artistic expression into a death warrant.

James was 19 years old when he and Demarius robbed Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler outside their music studio in Dallas County in 2008. James, who had no history of violence, did not shoot them. Sending him to the death chamber isn't justice. It is the outcome of a system that is racist at its core.

We are doing everything we can to stop this. We need YOUR help to urge the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Governor Abbott to halt this execution!

Sign the petition: bit.ly/jbroadnax

Then share this post and DM your friends. Let’s keep building support for James!

@tcadp @us_cedp @noosetoneedle @thetiaracooper @life4sonnyb @cifsjustice

#texas #deathpenalty #stopexecutions

Join Raymond Patterson, one of our death row survivors, for the Storytellers Series on April 10th at 5pm at the Allen Ballroom (Singleton Building) at Coastal Carolina University!

The Incarcerated VOICE Initiative presents the first-hand stories of three formerly incarcerated, justice-involved South Carolinians and their experiences navigating the United States criminal justice system. They will share their personal stories of life before, during, and after incarceration and the challenges and successes they experienced along the way. Audience engagement is encouraged.

Limited Seating | Free Entry | Open to the Public | Hors D'oeuvres | Q&A

Contact Dr. Jennifer Schlosser at jschlosse@coastal.edu for more information!

Check out the good work our Death Row Survivor Speaker, Raymond Patterson, is doing with the Georgetown Re-Entry Program! Here's what they had to say about his visit:

Our Voices of Progress speaker series was back on this week with distinguished guest Raymond Patterson.
Raymond’s story includes a 36-year sentence in state prison, 22 of which he served on death row.
“I always knew God had a purpose, and while I was doing time, I was preparing myself to get out. You gotta have a foundation. For me, that’s my relationship with God.
“I took every chance I could to better myself. I took—and then taught—classes on public speaking. I learned about respect; it’s better to be respected than feared.
“Be true to yourself, a man of your word, honest. People will begin to respect you, and you’ll find real opportunities.
“Now I get called to speak at churches, conferences, colleges, schools … I want my life to make a difference.”
Afterward, several guys stuck around to talk more personally with Raymond, who was gracious and inspiring. The last question from men in the program: “when you coming back?”
A big thank you to Raymond for inspiring us with his truth and sharing with us his Amazing Journey.
Restoration > retribution.

Join us TODAY, March 17, from 7pm-8p.m. ET via Zoom for our monthly organizing meetup! You are welcome to attend regularly or drop-in when you have ideas and time to engage. Each session will offer tools and strategies for grassroots organizing as well as updates and opportunities for taking action.

This month, in addition to any campaign updates, we will discuss SCADP's work to promote legislation and activate strategic partnerships! We suggest you attend an info session or have some familiarity with the work of SCADP in advance of joining this group, but it’s not required. Whether you’re a seasoned activist or just getting started, we need you! Go to scadp.org/organizing-meetups to register for free!

Hillary Taylor will facilitate this month's meet-up. If you are interested in co-facilitating the meetups in the future, please email her at info@scadp.org!

One year ago today, the state of South Carolina executed Brad Keith Sigmon in the name of its citizens. At age 67, Brad was (and remains) the oldest person the South Carolina Department of Corrections ever executed. He was also the first person executed by firing squad in the state.

In his thirties, Brad succumbed to severe, inherited mental illness that, at the time, went undiagnosed and untreated. The profound harm he caused the Larke Family and others resulted from this disorder. Even so, Brad never stopped seeking repentance and forgiveness from those he harmed before his incarceration...even when he was on Death Row.

For nearly 25 years on death row, Brad remained a source of strength, spiritual discernment, and support to all who knew him. He maintained a close bond with his immediate family, who depended on his deep faith and steadiness while navigating stressful life events. But the thing Brad is most remembered for is his Christian faith. During his entire sentence, Brad dedicated himself to the teachings of Jesus Christ and came to know the Bible better than most Christians. Because of the way he pastored and mentored his fellow inmates in the faith, he served as a kind of informal chaplain on the Row. Besides Jesus, his favorite person in the Bible was King David--a man who was also eligible for the death penalty, but whom God spared.

Before his execution, Brad tried to share his last meal with the other men on the row, whom he considered his brothers. Brad shared everything he had with others, even tithing 10% of his commissary funds to those on the Row who lacked the same outside support he did. His last words include the following call to action: "I want my closing statement to be one of love and a calling to my fellow Christians to help us end the death penalty."

We hope Brad's story, like many others across the country, will inspire you join our movement to end the death penalty in South Carolina once and for all. Thank you for your love and friendship to so many, Brad. You remain greatly missed.

To join the movement, go to www.scadp.org.

Are you a former or current corrections professional against the death penalty? Did you work in South Carolina, or do you now live in South Carolina? If the answer to both of these questions is "yes," we invite you to add your name to a letter addressed to Governor McMaster to stop executions. This includes any profession within the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, or the Board of Probation, Pardons, and Parole (e.g., officers, social workers, healthcare professionals, maintenance staff, wardens, administrators, etc.). Go to bit.ly/CorrectionsProfessionalsSC, scan the QR code, or go to the link in our bio to sign the letter!

Last week, Sherrerd Hartness was featured prominently in a Washington Post article. The article discussed what it would mean for victim family members should prosecutors seek the death penalty for Nick Reiner. A co-victim herself, Sherrerd is a is against the death penalty and a frequent speaker at SCADP events. You can view the article by clicking on the link below!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/02/27/nick-reiner-death-penalty-victims/

Free event! Go to bit.ly/WeightOfWar to register for free!

Across the United States, military veterans are disproportionately represented in the criminal legal system — including on death row. Many entered the system carrying untreated trauma, PTSD, moral injury, and the lasting effects of military service that were never meaningfully examined by courts or juries.

This webinar brings together veterans, legal experts, and advocates to examine how military service intersects with extreme punishment. Panelists will explore the systemic failures that lead to death sentences for veterans, the role of mitigation in capital cases, and why sentence review and second-look legislation are critical tools for accountability, public safety, and justice.

Featuring insights from three veterans: Captain Art Cody, USN (Retired), the Director of the Center for Veteran Criminal Advocacy; Sergeant Ron “Ralph” Wright, Jr., USAF (Retired), Florida’s 27th death row exoneree and FADP Board Member; and Seaman Christina Heady, USCG (Retired), Co-Founder and Head of Public & Policy Affairs for Light After Life Florida.

California’s death penalty is not just broken, it’s racist and unfairly applied.

The biggest predictors of who gets sentenced to death in CA are not the severity of the crime, but the county where it was committed, the race of the victim, and whether the accused could afford a lawyer. In fact, every person who has been exonerated from death row in California has been a man of color. That’s not justice, it’s a system built on inequality.

@cagovernor has called the death penalty “a failure” and paused executions in California. But stopping executions is not enough. There are still over 565 people on death row, overwhelmingly Black and Brown, poor, and failed by a racist system.

It’s time to act boldly and decisively, and to commute ALL death sentences in California.

#CommuteTheRow
#UniversalClemencyNow
#ConfrontRacism
#deathpenalty

@cagovernor
aclu @ellabakercenter

#ConfrontRacism
#deathpenalty

If you're not able to make our Monthly Organizing Meetup tomorrow, we suggest you connect with our friends at Ohioans to Stop Executions (OTSE)! They'll be sponsoring an event called "How States Ended It: From Resistance to Repeal"

This event is an online, virtual event taking place Tuesday, February 17th 6:00 p.m. EST.

Register for free at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Ic2Ta9dCQSGg52H-S57ZRw#/registration

Our country is at a tipping point, and people are looking to California for moral leadership. Faith leaders, advocates, and exonerees are linking arms and calling on Governor Newsom to continue to exercise strong moral authority and grant clemency in all California death-sentenced cases. We urge him to protect the vulnerable and stand for human rights and human dignity.

#CommuteTheRow #UniversalClemencyNow #ConfrontRacism #deathpenalty
@cagovernor @GavinNewsom smartjusticeca @ellabakercenter @aclu_norcal
@8thamendmentpro

What an incredible day at USC Upstate where Rev. Jimmy MacPhee (a death row survivor) and Holly Sox (daughter of a death row nurse) joined together to talk to 51 people about their experiences with the death penalty! Huge thanks to everyone with The Beatty Center at USC Upstate who made this event happen! We hope to connect with you more in the future!

Join us tomorrow (Tuesday, Febuary 10) at 6pm for our February Monthly Info Session! The session will be an hour-long online conversation to learn more about the state of the death penalty in South Carolina, the work of SCADP, and how you can get involved. If you want to volunteer or simply connect with others across the state interested in abolishing the death penalty, start here! To register for a free Zoom link go to: https://www.scadp.org/event-details/scadp-monthly-info-session-2026-02-10-18-00

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Our Values:

SCADP's work is grounded in the conviction that every human life has inherent dignity, and that
our justice system must reflect that truth. Our core values of Shared Humanity, Social and Racial
Justice, and Restorative Justice, guide our advocacy, shape how we engage our communities, and inform how we operate as an organization. Together, they represent our vision of a more humane and just South Carolina.