Friends,
For those of you I have not yet had the privilege of meeting, hello! My name is Grace Hanna, and I’m writing today to introduce myself as the new (as of ~72 hours ago) Executive Director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. I have been involved in this organization for several years, first as a volunteer, then a board member, next as an organizer, and now as Executive Director, and I am honored to be taking the lead of the state’s only single-issue death penalty abolition non-profit.
I really cannot thank Maria DeLiberato enough for all she has done in her 3.5 years as Executive Director – whether that’s carrying us through 22 executions since 2023, pushing back against the most extreme expansions of the death penalty in Florida’s history, or completing approximately 47,000 interviews with the media (I counted). She is an asset to the movement, and I am immensely grateful that she has agreed to stay on staff as FADP’s first Legal and Policy Director. This means that, while the public face of FADP may change, our core team (Maria, Bridget, and myself) will be staying as strong as ever.
A bit about me – I am a native Floridian (Go Noles!), a social worker, and a family member of a murder victim. I’m based in Tallahassee (though look forward to making my way around the state in the coming months), and have been on-site at Florida State Prison for nearly every execution vigil in the past 3 years. During the 2024 Legislative Session, I testified against the blatantly unconstitutional attempts to broaden the state’s death penalty statue, leading to then-Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo (half-jokingly) offering to write me a letter of recommendation for law school. When I’m not fighting against Florida’s death penalty, I love playing tennis, baking bread, and attempting (key word is attempting) DIY projects around my house.
I believe so strongly in the work FADP is doing everyday, to both end Florida’s death penalty and to support those who are most directly impacted by it. And, while it might sound a bit odd, I would say that I’ve found a lot of hope through this work. In these days of seemingly endless executions and headlines, it can be difficult to find bright spots, but I urge you to look closely for them. They exist in the ray of sunshine peeking through the clouds during an execution vigil, in the voice of a mother being reunited with her son for the first time in years prior to his execution, and in the friendships between those of us who are dedicating our time to ending this archaic, broken practice. We are laying the groundwork for a better, more humane, and more thoughtful society.
I hope you’ll choose just one action to take to play a part in turning the tide. I’ve listed some ideas below, but welcome anything you feel led to do:
- Sign the petitions for Bryan Jennings (execution Nov. 13) and Malik Randolph (execution Nov. 20).
- Take two 2 minutes to send Gov. DeSantis letters asking him to halt Bryan and Malik’s executions.
- Donate to help FADP continue showing up for each execution and supporting people on both sides of the death penalty debate.
- Make plans to attend a vigil during an upcoming execution, either at Florida State Prison, online, or at one of the other events around the state.
- Tell a friend or family member about how Florida has executed more people in 2025 than at any other point in our state’s history, despite the death penalty having no deterrent effect and our state having more death row exonerees than anyone else.
Together, we will help create a Florida that doesn’t view violence as a solution to violence. I’m eager to get to work alongside all of you.
Warmly,
Grace
P.S. – I am excited to hear from all of you about your ideas for FADP in the months ahead. Keep an eye out for an email with opportunities to share more!