Hi friend,
A few days ago I traveled to Texas death row to visit Quintin Jones (aka Lil’ GQ, for those who have read Between Two Kingdoms or his Isolation Journals prompt back in January). He is scheduled to be executed on May 19—in just nine days—for the 1999 murder of his great aunt Berthena Bryant. My video interview with Quin and accompanying essay were published today in the New York Times.
It’s one thing to spend these last months working with his legal team, outlining all the reasons why Quin’s case deserves a second look. It’s another entirely to sit face-to-face across from a man days away from the execution chamber. To see the fear in his eyes. To watch him break down—only to hear him say, “I’m good. Don’t worry about me. I don’t want to cause anybody any more pain.”
The victim’s family, who are also Quin’s family, are pleading with the State of Texas to spare his life. “The world will not be better off if Quin is executed. Both of us have long forgiven Quin,” Quin’s brother Benjamin Jones wrote in an official statement on behalf of himself and the victim’s sister, his great aunt Mattie Long. “Please don’t cause us to be victimized again through Quin's execution.”
Quin’s family is modeling restorative justice, where harm is repaired, not perpetuated. As Quin wrote: “The forgiveness from my great aunt [Mattie], along with the love and support of others over the years has played a major role in my growth both on the inside and out.”
I join Quin’s family, along with tens of thousands of others, in asking Texas Gov. Abbott and the Board of Pardons and Paroles to convert Quin’s sentence from death to life without the possibility of parole.
Quin is not asking for freedom, not asking us to forgive and forget. He’s simply asking to live out the rest of his natural life in prison.
I hope you join us in the effort to save Quin’s life by sharing the New York Times video and op-ed and circulating the petition using #SaveQuintinJones.
In hope and love,
Suleika
I'm sorry for you loss. For everyone's loss.
thank you suleika..for your article, advocacy& heart..
ive signed petition, spread the word & emailed texas gov abbott..texas lauds itself as a
'pro-life' state..in my mind all
life is sacred& pro-life means all life..taking any life is a sin& that will weigh on gov abbott soul.. i have been an advocate & practitioner in restorative justice
for 20 yrs..it is apallingly painful to see that death penalty,
govt sanctioned murder still exists..
thank you for being a bright light
in the dark..
sincerely,
robin rasch
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