Since 1978, the Death Row Support Project (DRSP) has connected people on the outside with penpals on the inside. Over 15,000 matches have been made; this has been a lifesaver for many, even while they wait for death. Most spend decades waiting for execution.
People on death row spend up to 23 hours a day in a 6ft by 8ft box. Alone. Imagine how much a letter – a window to the outside – means.
Over the years, many people from death row have sent works of art to DRSP Director Rachel Gross in their gratitude. DSRP, with the help of one one of its penpals on the outside, has curated more than 50 of these pieces into an exhibit to encounter the humanity – artistry and creativity, longing for beauty, and connection beyond solitary prison cells – of people living under sentence of death.
Throughout 2026 (and hopefully beyond), the exhibit will be on display at various locations through Indiana. It is timely and urgent, because when the state of Indiana executes people, it is in our name and with our tax dollars.
Visit our Events Page to see where the exhibit is currently on display.
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Some of the over 50 pieces in the exhibit:
Ink on paper by Scott Nordstrom, on death row in Arizona 
Photograph of painting by Royal Clark, on death row in California 
Pen, marker, and colored pencil on paper by John Reese, on death row in Florida 
Pen and pencil on paper by Fabio Gómez, on death row in Arizona 
Paint, pen, and pencil on paper by Roderick “Samir” Orme, on death row in Florida
