Death Row Pastor Urges Gina Hinojosa To Halt Executions in Texas
The Reverend Jeff Hood urged Texas' governor-elect to do everything she can to slow the pace of executions after taking office.
Reverend Jeff Hood, a long-time advocate against the death penalty, has written to Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa urging her to take action to halt executions in the state. In a letter to Hinojosa, Hood, who is the founder of the Execution Intervention Project, called on the incoming governor to use her powers to slow down the pace of executions and to appoint members to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles who would recommend life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.
The letter comes as Democrats have gained control of governorships in states that have long been Republican strongholds, giving the party a majority for the first time in two decades. Hinojosa, a civil rights attorney and state legislator from Austin, has said she personally does not support the death penalty but would make decisions on a case-by-case basis as governor.
The letter comes at a time of increased scrutiny over the use of lethal injection in the United States, particularly after Tennessee's failed execution attempt on September 30.
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