Together with local, state, and national partners, TCADP works to reduce use of the death penalty in Texas. Here’s a snapshot of our impact:
The TCADP Annual Conference is the cornerstone of our statewide engagement efforts. Attendees, who hail from all corners of Texas, hear from capital defense attorneys, innocence experts, journalists, advocates, faith leaders, and individuals who have been directly impacted by the death penalty, including victim survivors, family and friends of individuals on death row, and jurors. We honor individuals and organizations who raise awareness of death penalty issues in meaningful ways and further the cause of abolition. And we hear from incredible keynote speakers, including civil rights icon, Ms. Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” (2024), and State Representative John Bucy (2025).
TCADP works to stop executions and shine a light on the humanity of those condemned to death. For the past two years, we have been deeply engaged in the campaign to stop the execution of Robert Roberson. Roberson is an innocent father with Autism who has spent over 20 years on death row in Texas for a crime that never occurred. His conviction is based on the outdated and now debunked Shaken Baby Syndrome hypothesis. No court has considered overwhelming new medical and scientific evidence that Robert’s chronically-ill daughter, Nikki, died because of serious health issues. Roberson faced execution on October 17, 2024, and then again on October 16, 2025, but both executions were halted by the courts. TCADP has mobilized key constituencies, organized in-person and virtual events, co-sponsored a petition, among other activities to save Robert and let Texas authorities know the world is watching.
TCADP publishes a report on Texas death penalty developments, which receives widespread media coverage and is hand delivered to every legislative office at the State Capitol. Throughout the year, TCADP provides commentary and analysis on the death penalty to journalists who cover this issue. We also train members of our volunteer Lobby Corps on how to communicate with state lawmakers about the death penalty and testify on death penalty-related bills during the legislative session.
We participate in community events throughout the state, including Martin Luther King Day, Jr. activities and political conventions. TCADP staff and board members deliver presentations to students, civic groups, and faith communities, host membership gatherings and World Day Against the Death Penalty events, and organize webinars on a variety of topics. TCADP also hosts a virtual book group and support events sponsored by our Organizational Affiliates.
