At Sustainable Action Now, we fight for compassion, dignity, and justice—not vengeance. Now more than ever, we must confront the systemic failures of the death penalty and rally together to end state-sponsored executions. Whether through powerful public storytelling, grassroots mobilization, or national and international coalition building, the movement is growing—and we are proud to be part of it.
As we honor the work of Death Penalty Focus and their 33rd Annual Awards Dinner in 2025, we pause to reflect on the tireless efforts of those fighting to abolish capital punishment and those still at risk of its cruel finality. From flawed science and wrongful convictions to the inhumane execution of individuals with severe mental illness—including our war veterans—the case against the death penalty is stronger than ever.
👉 Learn more and join the movement at our Death Penalty Advocacy Hub
🎖️ The Case of Jeffrey Hutchinson: When a Nation Fails Its Heroes
The case of Gulf War veteran Jeffrey Hutchinson is not just a legal tragedy—it is a moral catastrophe.
Jeffrey, a decorated soldier who served over a decade in the U.S. Army, now sits on death row in Florida. His execution date was set for May 1, 2025, despite overwhelming evidence that he suffers from a severe delusional disorder caused by combat exposure to nerve gas and traumatic brain injuries. His mind, like countless other combat veterans, was broken by war—and then abandoned by the very nation he served.
“Jeff came home injured by war. His mind was a casualty, just like any limb lost in combat. To execute him now is not justice. It is a failure of responsibility.”
The Constitution forbids the execution of individuals who do not have a rational understanding of their punishment. Yet, Florida continues to push forward with his death sentence, sidestepping both medical evidence and moral decency. Despite expert testimony concluding that Jeffrey cannot rationally understand the reason for his execution, the state dismissed the evaluations, declaring him competent after a rushed hearing.
This is not justice—it is a violation of human rights, constitutional protections, and basic human compassion.
We are calling on veterans, advocates, and everyday citizens to take action:
- Veterans: Sign the open letter demanding a halt to Jeffrey’s execution.
- Citizens: Call Governor Ron DeSantis at 850-717-9337 and 850-488-7146. Urge him to stay the execution.
- Everyone: Sign and share the petition to stop the execution of a mentally ill veteran.
🏛️ Justice in the Media and the Courtroom
We must also lift up the voices of those using media and the law to expose the broken nature of capital punishment in America.
At the 2025 Death Penalty Focus Annual Awards Dinner, changemakers will be honored for their role in illuminating the deep injustices embedded in the system:
- Marshall Goldberg, Mike Tollin, and Randy Ferrell receive the Justice in the Media Award for Justice, USA, a documentary series on MAX that humanizes the reality of incarceration and shows the devastating consequences of a legal system that criminalizes poverty, addiction, and mental illness.
- Attorney Gretchen Sween is recognized with the Rose Elizabeth Bird Commitment to Justice Award for her fight to save Robert Roberson, a man sentenced to death based on discredited junk science. Her relentless advocacy is giving hope where it had nearly run out.
- Kristin Houlé Cuellar, Executive Director of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, is awarded the Abolition Award for her decades-long leadership in the anti-death penalty movement in one of the country’s most execution-heavy states.
These courageous individuals remind us that justice cannot exist where the death penalty is allowed to thrive.
⚖️ The Eighth Amendment Under Siege
The foundation of America’s legal protection against “cruel and unusual punishment” is under attack. Scholars, journalists, and legal experts warn that the Eighth Amendment is in jeopardy, as courts continue to greenlight executions under deeply flawed and inconsistent standards.
Take the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, where some judges have recently undermined presidential clemency—including President Biden’s commutation of 37 federal death row sentences. This disturbing judicial overreach threatens to undo decades of progress and dangerously politicizes life-and-death decisions.
🕯️ From Ceremony to Action: How You Can Help
As the awards ceremony uplifts heroes of the abolition movement, we invite you to join us in creating real change:
✅ Attend or support the 33rd Annual Awards Dinner
Your support helps fund vital media outreach, grassroots campaigns, and direct advocacy. Purchase tickets, tables, or ads here.
✅ Educate your community
Share stories like Jeffrey Hutchinson’s and Robert Roberson’s. Talk about why executing people with mental illness is not just unconstitutional—it’s inhumane.
✅ Join our network
Through our Death Penalty Advocacy Hub, you can access petitions, event listings, action alerts, and ways to connect with groups fighting for justice across the U.S.
✊ We Can End This
Capital punishment is not justice. It is irreversible, discriminatory, and disproportionately targets the most vulnerable—people of color, the poor, the mentally ill, and, as in Jeff’s case, those wounded by war.
We must act now, not just to save lives, but to redefine justice in a way that includes mercy, dignity, and accountability. Together, we can end state killing and build a system that truly values life.
🕊️ Join us. Speak out. Take action.
Visit our Death Penalty Hub and be part of the movement to end the death penalty—once and for all.
