rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/no-more-executions?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-no-more-executions' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty https://actionnetwork.org/groups/tadp https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/letters/photos/000/383/968/normal/TADP_banner.png In 2022, prior to the release of the findings of an independent review of Tennessee’s problematic lethal injection protocol, Governor Bill Lee stated, “To ensure continued transparency for Tennesseans, we will publicly share the report and any additional action when our internal assessment is complete.” In a press statement about the release of the report, the governor went on to say, “I have thoroughly reviewed the findings in the independent investigator’s report and am directing several actions to ensure the Tennessee Department of Correction adheres to the proper protocol.” On January 9, 2025, after initially refusing to release the new execution protocol to the media, the Tennessee Department of Correction released a redacted version. The new protocol is noticeably shorter than the previous one and includes only a single page on the lethal injection chemicals with no specific directions for testing of the drugs. The new protocol also removes a requirement that the drug, pentobarbital, come from a licensed pharmacist and authorizes the state to deviate from the protocol whenever the commissioner deems it necessary. The protocol is supposed to act as Tennessee’s own official set of rules governing its execution process, so by its very nature it cannot be open to deviation on a whim.   Then on January 16, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it was withdrawing the federal government’s lethal injection protocol based on concerns that execution by pentobarbital may cause unconstitutional pain and suffering. The DOJ’s review of the use of this drug for lethal injection confirms what medical experts have said for years: pentobarbital causes excruciating pain when used to carry out executions and violates the Eighth Amendment. The use of pentobarbital in executions also creates a serious risk of trauma to the correctional staff who are charged with carrying out executions. The greater the secrecy around this protocol, the greater the risk of harm to TDOC employees. On March 3, 2025, the Tennessee Supreme Court set execution dates for four men after five years without an execution in Tennessee. They are: Oscar Smith, May 22 Byron Black, August 5 Donald Middlebrooks, September 24 Harold Nichols, December 11 Sign this letter to ask Governor Lee not to resume executions in Tennessee. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/no-more-executions