NATIONWIDE — Today, advocates escalated pressure against Tennessee-based FDR Safety and Florida-based Clinical Pharmacology Services to stop developing a new death penalty protocol. Worth Rises and the Patriots Against Gas Executions urged professional associations, such as the National Safety Council, to remove the corporations from their membership. The escalation comes a week after more than 70 organizations, investors, and business associations, including the American Sustainable Business Council - Social Venture Circle, sent a joint letter to the corporations demanding they stop developing a nitrogen gas execution protocol for the Alabama Department of Corrections.
“Despite years of botched executions, the evaporation of lethal injection drugs, and numerous exonerations — some too late — many remain committed to state-sanctioned murder. As advocates continue the moral fight to end the death penalty, there is absolutely no place for corporations, especially those that purport to ensure the health and safety of their clients, in the discussion,” said Bianca Tylek, Executive Director of Worth Rises. “FDR Safety and Clinical Pharmacology Services have contracted with Alabama to kill people. Whatever the reason, we simply cannot allow murder for profit in a civilized and ethical society.”
Over the past decade, the growing inaccessibility of lethal injection drugs and public outrage over brutally botched executions have moved some states to end or suspend the death penalty, but a few states have begun exploring new execution protocols. In March of 2018, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill authorizing executions by nitrogen gas, though the protocol had not yet been developed. The following year, FDR Safety and Clinical Pharmacology Services were contracted by the state to develop the protocol.
“Patriots do not idly stand by when the government acts against the interest of their own citizens. By 2012, Alabama eradicated and outlawed gas chamber use on animals. Now, Governor Kay Ivey, Attorney General Steve Marshall, FDR Safety, and Clinical Pharmacology Services want us to buy into this anti-American execution method.” said Carol Rogan, Co-Founder of Patriots Against Gas Execution. “Our citizens are not guinea pigs, our citizens should never be treated worse than dogs. Patriots Against Gas Executions firmly stands by the men and women on Alabama's death row.”