The members of CJPC mourn the passing of Richard Nethercut. Dick was a strong and steady supporter of criminal justice reform. He was a past president of the Alternatives to Violence Program, a member of the Concord Prison Outreach Program, a guiding spirit for the Gates Unbarred Prison Fellowship program in Shirley and a member of CJPC. He gave unstintingly of his time, his humanity and his intellect to all of these efforts.

The testimony which he gave opposing reinstitution of the death penalty speaks eloquently to his unique and powerful perspective on criminal justice: "As a murder victim family member, I oppose the reinstatement of the death penalty, which from my perspective will only add to the suffering of the victim's family rather than lessen it. My daughter, Jaina Nethercut, was raped and murdered in a Seattle hotel on January 15, 1978 at age nineteen. ... The rape and murder of a 19-year-old could carry the death penalty under this bill. This is the last thing my wife and I would have wanted because it would do violence to us and what we stand for to execute our daughter's killer.... As a retired Foreign Service Officer, I am sensitive to the adverse impact the widespread use of the death penalty has on U.S. foreign policy interests and on public opinion abroad."

Funeral services are scheduled for Friday, October 16, at 1:00 P.M. at the Trinitarian Congregational Church in Concord, 54 Walden Street in Concord, MA, Directions to the church can be found at the following link: http://www.triconchurch.org/

Calling hours will be held on Thursday, October 15, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Concord Funeral Home, 74 Blknap Street, Concord, MA 01742.

Dick's good work touched the lives of many prisoners and former prisoners. Dick will be sorely missed.