TCADP 2026 Award recipients
The TCADP 2027 Annual Conference: The Death Penalty and the Costs We Carry will take place from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, February 20, 2027, at the Norris Conference Center in Austin (2525 W Anderson Ln. #365, Austin, TX 78757). Registration is now open!
The Annual Conference is the cornerstone of TCADP’s membership engagement efforts. Attendees, who hail from all corners of Texas and from other states, hear from capital defense attorneys, innocence experts, journalists, advocates, faith leaders, and individuals who have been directly impacted by the death penalty. During the conference, we honor individuals and organizations who raise awareness of death penalty issues in meaningful ways and further the cause of abolition. Read about past award recipients.
We also hear from incredible keynote speakers, including civil rights icon, Ms. Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” (2024), State Representative John Bucy (2025), and Professor Corinna Barrett Lain (2026).
TCADP is thrilled to announce that Barbara Bradley Hagerty will serve as the keynote speaker for the 2027 Annual Conference. Barb is an award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author. Read about her below.
Accommodations
For anyone who needs overnight accommodations that weekend, TCADP has secured a block of rooms at the DoubleTree by Hilton Austin NW Arboretum (8901 Business Park Dr, Austin, TX 78759) for Friday, February 19, and Saturday, February 20, 2027, at a group rate of $109/night. This includes complimentary breakfast and parking.
If you prefer to call Hotel Reservations (1-800-445-8667), you must provide the group name “Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty” to receive the special group rate. The deadline for reservations is Wednesday, January 20, 2027.
Stay tuned for announcements about the conference program. We hope you will join us for this informative and inspirational day of advocacy!
2027 Keynote Speaker
Barbara Bradley Hagerty is an award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author. A longtime NPR correspondent covering law and religion, she now writes for The Atlantic. In 2017, she began investigating the case of Ben Spencer, a man she believed was wrongly convicted of murder. She wrote a piece for The Atlantic and NPR, and – troubled that Ben would spend his life in prison – continued to unearth evidence of his innocence. Her book, Bringing Ben Home: A Murder, a Conviction, and the Fight to Redeem American Justice chronicles Ben’s journey through the American justice system.
Barb’s three books sprung from questions that haunted her. In Fingerprints of God, she addressed the existential question: Is there more than this? In Life Reimagined, she researched the midlife question: Is it all downhill from here? And in Bringing Ben Home, she tackled the tragic question: Why are the innocent condemned?
Her latest story for The Atlantic, “The Other Victims of a Wrongful Conviction,” addresses the complexities victims’ family members must navigate in the wake of an exoneration.
Barb lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, Devin, and their dogs, Patchett (dog not novelist) and Ravioli.
Comments From Past Participants
“Keep up the good work! This annual conference is a great experience- leaves you informed and inspired.”
2026 Conference Participant
“The information and stories shared are informative and inspiring. It is also an opportunity to know more about the people being honored, their world, and stories.”
2026 Conference Participant
“I think everyone can benefit from this conference regardless of views.”
2025 Conference Participant
“The conferences are always so educational. I always learn something, and it always gives me a chance to stay motivated to work for the cause.”
2025 Conference Participant
“Great connections; heard different perspectives based on differing experiences with death penalty; learn new updates and facts about capital punishment.”
2024 Conference Participant
“Loved the passion of those working in this important issue, especially the panelists, and the diversity of the participants.”
2024 Conference Participant
“The TCADP conference helped me put faces, real people, and real emotions to a general cause. I knew people were fighting behind the scenes to abolish the death penalty in Texas despite it being an uphill battle, but it was so important for me to see the lawyers, advocates, volunteers, journalists, and exonerated former defendants/victims in person. I heard their stories, their pain and raw emotions while talking about the injustice of our judicial system.”
2023 Conference Participant
“The bar is set very high. It will be hard to do any better next time. Thanks so much.”
2022 Conference Participant
“In a time of webinar and Zoom fatigue, it was one of the first conferences in a while that I stayed for the whole thing. It was good to hear from former death row persons.”
2021 Conference Participant
“I’m sending this note to thank you and TCADP for the informative conference today. I attended with my father who invited me. I knew very little about this issue before today and found the conference to be enlightening. The panel discussion, keynote and awards, and the workshops were interesting, thought provoking, and informative. The facility was very nice and comfortable, and the food was excellent. It was a well-organized and interesting day, and I appreciate all the work that you and your group did to make this happen.”
2020 Conference Participant
“Incredibly informative, I have never attended a conference and I am so grateful for this experience and efforts to abolish the death penalty.”
2020 Conference Participant