Kenny Richey Visit
February 21 - 23, 2004
hosted by Amnesty International Ohio Activists
MP and Amnesty International Raise Concerns for Scottish Inmate
From Wednesday, February 21 to Friday, February 23, 2004, Ohio activists and the Midwest Regional Office, in conjunction with the AI-UK section, organized a visit by Alistair Carmichael, a member of British Parliament and Kate Allen, Director of AIUK, on behalf of Kenneth Richey, a British national on death row in Ohio since 1987. Richey, a Scottish-American convicted of setting a fire that killed two-year old Cynthia Collins, is seen by AIUK as one of the most "compelling cases of apparent innocence human rights campaigners have ever seen."
After arriving in Columbus, OH on Wednesday afternoon, a coalition building dinner, set up by Group #87 Coordinator and Turkey country specialist Brenda Hosey, was held with death penalty opponents, experts, AI activists, and abolitionist organizations from across the state. This dinner gave MP Carmichael and Ms. Allen the opportunity to understand the complexities of dealing with Ohio media, prison officials, and state politicians in the context of capital punishment and, specifically, the Richey case. It also provided AIUSA an additional opportunity to build coalition partners across the state for future actions.
Thursday morning, the delegation drove to the Mansfield Correctional Institution, where Ohio houses its 208 death row inmates, to visit with Kenny Richey and talk to him about his experiences. Carmichael, Allen, and Nancy Bothne, AIUSA Midwest Regional Director, talked with Kenny about his case, his growing international support, his memories of Scotland, and his message to the people the UK. This visit was followed by an in-depth interview of Richey by the BBC.
The delegation drove back to Columbus in the late afternoon to an awaiting corps of reporters from several Ohio newspapers at the Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square. After the press meetings, the group, accompanied by Ms. Olivia Moore, Deputy Head of Public Affairs Depart for the British Consulate-General, went to a meeting with AI Ohio activist. This was an opportunity for activists to hear the first hand experiences of the visit with Kenny. Activists were motivated by the opportunity to meet with folks from the UK delegation and regional staff.
On Friday morning Carmichael, Allen, Bothne, and Christopher Watson, AI Ohio Membership Field Organizer, along with Michael Manley, Ohio State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator, and Jane Harrison, Ohio State University student and Ohio SAC, met with representatives from Governor Bob Taft's Office and prison officials to express concerns about Richey's condition and the questions arisen from his case.
This visit would not have been successful without the collaborative work between the MWRO, AIUK, PADP, AIUSA Media Relations, and especially Ohio activists.
More information on AIUSA's Death Penalty Program
