Rev. Carroll Pickett in Decatur

The Macon County Citizens Against Capital Punishment are proud to welcome Rev. Carroll Pickett to Decatur, Illinois, on March 13th and 14th for a weekend of activities to support abolition of the death penalty.

Reverend Pickett is an outspoken anti-death penalty activist.  He spent fifteen years as the "death house" chaplain at "The Walls," the Huntsville unit of the Texas prison system. In that capacity, he ministered to 95 men before they were put to death by lethal injection.

He is the author of the acclaimed memoir, Within These Walls, an eloquent, unflinching look at his unique career and his intensely personal exposure to capital punishment. This first-hand experience gave him unique insight to write an impassioned statement on the realities of capital punishment in America. The book is a thought-provoking and compelling look inside the criminal mind, inside the execution chamber, and inside the heart of a remarkable man who shares his thoughts and observations not only about capital punishment, but about the dark world of prison society.

At the Death House Door, a documentary by Steve James and Peter Gilbert, is a personal and intimate look at the death penalty in the state of Texas through the eyes of Reverend Pickett. The film has had an award-winning run on the national film festival circuit.

Rev. Pickett is retired from the Department of Corrections but still preaches near Huntsville, Texas

Rev. Pickett will lead a workshop on the death penalty Saturday morning, 3/13, from 9am to noon, at First Presbyterian (204 W Prairie Ave.)