THE DEATH PENALTY PROJECT TELLS THE STORY OF THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN ILLINOIS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THOSE MOST AFFECTED BUT HISTORICALLY LEAST HEARD: THOSE ON DEATH ROW THEMSELVES.

About THE DEATH PENALTY PROJECT

COMING SUMMER 2026

COMING SUMMER 2026

THE STORYTELLERS

A man with gray beard and glasses wearing a white hat and red shirt, outdoors with blurred green background.

Renaldo Hudson

A middle-aged man with gray beard wearing large sunglasses and a navy blue Polo Ralph Lauren shirt, smiling outdoors with a green, blurred background.

Stanley Howard

A smiling middle-aged man with glasses and a cap, standing outdoors with a blurred green background.

Photos by Jordan Kelly Esparza

Ronnie Kitchen

The Death Penalty Project takes an in-depth look at the organizing and strategies of those on death row and their allies to end capital punishment. Their organizing played a key role in the 2000 moratorium on executions, the 2003 blanket commutation of all death sentences, and finally the 2011 abolition of the death penalty in Illinois.

A group of four diverse people sitting around a large wooden table in a room decorated with framed artwork and bookshelves. One man wearing a red shirt, fedora, and glasses, hands a photograph to a woman with long dark hair. The other man, wearing a white shirt and tie, observes. There are water bottles and various papers and magazines on the table.

Photo by Jordan Kelly Esparza

A film or video production crew working indoors near large windows with a city view. One person is standing and speaking, while another is seated, operating equipment. There is a professional camera, lighting, and a boom microphone visible.
A diverse group of fifteen people posing for a photo in a modern indoor setting, with some seated on a sofa and others standing behind, showing a variety of ages, ethnicities, and styles.

Photo by ThoughtPoet

Photo by ThoughtPoet

Two women, one with a leopard print shirt and tattoos, applying makeup to the other woman with black hair and glasses, against a wooden background.

Photo by Karina Martinez

Renaldo Hudson and Elizabeth Futrell seated behind a professional video camera, engaged in a discussion or interview in a dark room with a bright light source behind them.

Photo by Grace Schuler

Ronald "Ronnie" Kitchen sitting in front of a camera setup during a video shoot, with crew members behind the camera, and a large window with city buildings in the background.

Photo by Grace Schuler

Four women sitting on pews inside a church, attentively listening. The church has stone walls, large windows, and a fireplace in the background.

Photo by Jordan Kelly Esparza