activities · 12
what they do
direct service · 6
- Justice Reform Advocacy Day and Internships Policy Research & Public EducationOrganizes Justice Reform Advocacy Day at the state capitol, providing interns with exclusive entry and opportunities to meet with exonerated individuals and share policy recommendations with Arizona representatives and senators.
- Justice Reform Advocacy Day participation Policy Research & Public EducationOrganizes and facilitates student intern participation in advocacy events at the Arizona State Capitol, including meetings with formerly incarcerated individuals and policymakers, with exclusive access to legislative advocacy activities.
- Prisoner Book ProgramOperates the "Reading on The Row" program, delivering hundreds of books to death row prisoners in Arizona prisons, reaching nearly 25% of the state's death row population with books and support services since November 2022.
- Punch Woods Memorial Scholarship Targeted Educational ScholarshipsOffers annual scholarships of up to $500 to support students conducting research, advocacy, or creative projects that deepen public understanding of the death penalty; awards have funded research on death penalty disparities, felony murder cases, cold cases, and public art for justice reform.
- Punch Woods Memorial Scholarship Program Targeted Educational ScholarshipsAwards up to $500 annually through the Punch Woods Memorial Scholarship to students to support projects that deepen public understanding of the death penalty, including research on application disparities, historical racial demographics, felony murder cases, and cold case analysis.
- Reading on The Row program Book Distribution & Reading Space DevelopmentProvides books and reading materials to death row prisoners in Arizona; fulfilled 33 book requests and delivered hundreds of books since the program's launch in November 2022, reaching nearly 25% of Arizona's death row population.
advocacy · 4
- Advocacy for Death Penalty Abolition Ballot Measure & Legislative AdvocacyAdvocates for the abolition of the death penalty in Arizona, providing recommendations to the governor on reprieves and commutations, and documenting how federal laws restrict habeas corpus review, increasing risks of wrongful executions.
- Death penalty policy advocacy and reform recommendations Ballot Measure & Legislative AdvocacyAdvocates for systemic changes to end the death penalty in Arizona, including submitting policy recommendations on cold cases and missing persons to state legislators, pushing for broader reforms beyond execution protocol reviews, and highlighting legal barriers like those in the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 that increase risks of wrongful executions.
- Executive clemency and parole advocacy Criminal Justice Reform AdvocacyEngages in advocacy related to executive decisions on the death penalty, including providing recommendations to the governor on reprieves, advocating for sentence commutations, and addressing parole revocation processes.
- Exoneration support and advocacy Ballot Measure & Legislative AdvocacyFacilitated the exoneration of 11 individuals from death row in Arizona since 1975 through advocacy, research, and collaboration with justice reform networks.
capacity building · 2
- Coalition Building for Death Penalty Abolition Ballot Measure & Legislative AdvocacyBuilds a broad, diverse, and inclusive coalition of organizations committed to ending the death penalty in Arizona, formed by merging two predecessor organizations in July 2012.
- Coalition building and organizational development Ballot Measure & Legislative AdvocacyFormed in 2012 through the merger of two predecessor organizations and has since worked to build a broad, diverse, and inclusive statewide coalition of organizations committed to abolishing the death penalty in Arizona.
strategies · 15
how they think
Theories of action extracted from this org's own source material. Click any to see the full field of orgs running the same approach.
- Advocating for Clemency Reform equity-in-clemency-reformThe organization advocates for reforming the Board of Executive Clemency by increasing representation from communities affected by crime and mass incarceration to ensure a more balanced and equitable clemency process, particularly as a final opportunity for relief for death row prisoners.
- Book Access as Healing, Education, and Mental Health Support book-based_healing_and_educationProvides books to death row prisoners to support education, emotional resilience, and mental health, using trauma-informed and escapist literature to address psychological trauma and isolation in prison.
- Book-Based Healing and Education for Incarcerated Individuals reading_access_for_incarcerated_individualsThe organization provides books to death row prisoners to support education, therapy, and recreation, addressing the lack of access to outside resources and using trauma-informed and escapist literature to foster emotional resilience and mental health.
- Clemency Advocacy as Final Relief for Death Row Prisoners advocacy_for_clemencyPrioritizes clemency petitions and advocacy as the last legal and moral opportunity to prevent execution after an execution warrant has been issued.
- Developing Future Advocates through Internships internship programThe organization provides an internship program that offers hands-on experience in legislative advocacy, research, and social justice work, aiming to develop professional skills and create meaningful change through multi-faceted engagement in areas such as case analysis, policy analysis, and community engagement.
- Equitable Clemency Reform through Community Representation equity-in-clemency-reformAdvocates for structural reform of the Board of Executive Clemency by increasing representation from communities directly affected by crime and mass incarceration, aiming to create a more balanced, fair, and equitable clemency process.
- Grassroots Volunteer Mobilization Across Arizona grassroots_volunteer_organizationOrganizes and coordinates volunteer efforts through a regional structure—Northern, Central, and Southern Arizona—to build localized, community-driven advocacy capacity.
- Inclusive Advocacy with Indigenous Perspectives indigenous_inclusionIntegrates Indigenous perspectives and inclusion into advocacy and educational initiatives to ensure culturally responsive and equitable reform efforts.
- Internship Program for Skill Development and Advocacy Engagement internship programOffers remote and in-person internships with training in legislative advocacy, research, and grassroots organizing, focusing on key areas like mental illness in capital cases and wrongful conviction prevention to develop future justice leaders.
- Prevention of Wrongful Convictions and Advocacy for Alternatives wrongful conviction preventionWorks to prevent wrongful convictions through research and policy advocacy while promoting alternatives to the death penalty that prioritize justice, accountability, and rehabilitation.
- Protecting Vulnerable Populations and Preventing Wrongful Convictions protecting vulnerable populationsThe organization focuses its efforts on protecting vulnerable populations at risk for capital punishment outcomes and preventing wrongful convictions, advocating for alternatives to the death penalty.
- Protection of Vulnerable Populations in Capital Cases protecting vulnerable populationsFocuses on preventing unjust capital punishment outcomes by centering advocacy on populations vulnerable to systemic inequities, including those with serious mental illness, trauma histories, or socioeconomic disadvantage.
- Public Mobilization for Policy Advocacy policy advocacy through public mobilizationThe organization advocates for policy change by mobilizing public support to influence federal executive and legislative action on death penalty reform, utilizing public education to foster informed and compassionate conversation.
- Public Mobilization for Policy Advocacy policy advocacy through public mobilizationDrives death penalty reform by mobilizing public support to influence federal executive and legislative action, leveraging collective advocacy to shift policy.
- Public and Student Education on Systemic Death Penalty Issues education and public awarenessAdvances awareness and critical understanding of the death penalty and its systemic inequities through public education campaigns and student engagement, encouraging informed dialogue via research, creative expression, and presentations.
named programs · 3
what they call their work
Internship Program
Provides semester-long remote and in-person internships focused on death penalty research, legislative advocacy, and policy analysis in areas such as cold cases, mental illness, and capital case funding
Punch Woods Memorial Scholarship
Annual scholarship awarding up to $500 to students conducting research or creative projects on the death penalty, with a requirement to share findings publicly
SMI Exemption Campaign
Advocacy initiative focused on preventing the execution of individuals with serious mental illness, highlighted by the case of Clarence Dixon
relationships · 9
who they work with
- Aaron Gunches Partner — Co-founded the Reading on the Row program with DPAA while incarcerated on death row.
- Arizona Board of Executive Clemency Government — Monitors and advocates for reform of the board's composition and decision-making processes.
- Arizona Death Penalty Forum Partner — Predecessor organization that merged with Coalition of Arizonans to Abolish the Death Penalty to form DPAA in 2012.
- Arizona State University Partner — Scholarship recipient Tori Choate is a law student at Arizona State University.
- Arizona Supreme Court Partner — Collaborates in cases leading to the overturning of wrongful convictions.
- Coalition of Arizonans to Abolish the Death Penalty Partner — Predecessor organization that merged with Arizona Death Penalty Forum to form DPAA in 2012.
- Equal Justice Initiative Partner — Links to Equal Justice Initiative's reporting on AEDPA's impact on innocence and ineffective counsel claims.
- University of Washington Partner — Scholarship recipient Tess Bloxham is a student at the University of Washington.
- Witness to Innocence Partner — Ray Krone, co-founder of Witness to Innocence, met with DPAA interns at Justice Reform Advocacy Day.