ACLU of Kentucky

On November 25 the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that the Commonwealth’s execution protocols were not legal.  As a result, the Department of Corrections is rewriting the process by which we execute people and is currently accepting comments on the proposed process.  

The ACLU works to reform the capital punishment process. In general, our Capital Punishment Project focuses on improving the fairness of capital trials and appeals, improving the quality of legal representation, and reducing the number of defendants who face the death penalty.

Capital punishment is the ultimate denial of civil liberties, and Kentucky’s proposed protocols only compound that denial by violating many of the most fundamental constitutional rights guaranteed to every American.

The Department of Corrections is required to review and respond to all submitted comments, so please consider writing a letter or attending the hearing. All written comments must be submitted my mail by February 1^st to Amy V. Barker and if you can testify in person at the one-day hearing scheduled for 9 a.m. EST January 29 you must submit written notification of your intent to do so to Ms. Barker by mail or fax by January 22. 

An inmates’ right to practice his or her faith is denied by the prohibition of end-of-life religious ceremonies.  Inmates are only allowed non-contact visits with their religious advisors, blocking them from receiving the sacrament of anointing.

The freedoms of speech and expression are curtailed by the Department of Corrections authority to control the time and location of any protests as well as limit the media’s ability to witness critical aspects of the procedures and completely prohibit them from videotaping or recording protestors. The executed person’s attorney, the public, and the media are not allowed to view government records pertaining to the execution afterward.

The hearing will be held at the Transportation Cabinet Building’s Auditorium, 200 Mero Street, Frankfort Kentucky. Please send a copy of your comments to Kate Miller at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   or write with any questions and concerns you may have.

 Contact info for Ms. Barker:

Amy V. Barker, Assistant General Counsel

Department of Justice and Public Safety Cabinet

125 Holmes Street, Frankfort, KY 40601.

fax (502-564-6686)