On December 30th, the American Bar Association (ABA) sent a letter to Governor Parson expressing concern over the possibility of executions in Missouri during the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing the troubling news that a request for an execution date for Ernest Lee Johnson is pending in the Missouri Supreme Court.
The COVID-19 pandemic poses significant hurdles for legal counsel in preparing cases for clemency and poses a high unnecessary risk of exposure to COVID-19 for all who participate in executions. Since receipt of the letter, conditions in Missouri prisons have worsened.
As of February 22, 2021, more than 513,057 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Missouri, together with 8,151 deaths. Forty-two Missouri prisoners have died of COVID-19 thus far, including at least one person on the state’s death row, along with six Missouri Department of Corrections staff. According to the ABA, this fact is especially troubling when contemplating the resumption of executions in Missouri. Data has shown that correctional facilities are “hot-spots” for COVID-19 infections and transmission. For a breakdown of COVID-19 data in U.S. prisons, please visit the Marshall Project.
Mounting evidence shows that executions carried out during the pandemic caused surges in COVID-19 cases. At the federal prison facility in Terre Haute, Indiana, where thirteen federal executions have been carried out since July 2020, a COVID-19 outbreak has seized federal death row. According to news reports, the prison where the federal executions have been carried out is now reporting “more COVID-19 infections than any other federal prison in the nation.” In addition to those living and working in the facility, media witnesses and spiritual advisors have tested positive for COVID-19 following executions. According to documents from the ACLU and the Associated Press, the Federal Bureau of Prisons has not been contact tracing following the executions.
March 4th, 2021, is the first anniversary of the earliest documented symptoms of COVID-19 in Missouri prisons. Join us at 7 PM CST, where organizations, legal professionals, and individuals will gather virtually for a Town Hall, “Covid in Missouri Corrections, 2.0,” to discuss how we can support efforts to ensure the health and safety of persons inside the Missouri Department of Corrections facilities. You can register for the event here: https://bit.ly/COVIDinMOCorrectionsTownHall2.
Thank you for your continued support in the struggle for clemency for Ernest Johnson. We cannot do this work without your help. Please continue to share this petition and visit www.madpmo.org for more information on how you can help end Missouri’s death penalty.