two leading American grassroots organisations have...

two leading American grassroots organisations have come together to raise awareness about the execution of mentally ill defendants. Murder Victims’ Families for Human Rights (MVFHR) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) seek to end executions of mentally ill offenders through litigation and legislation. Although the Supreme Court ruled in the 2002 Atkins v. Virginia case that the execution of “mentally retarded” people is unconstitutional, the enforcement of that decision is still challenged. Earl Berry was executed in Mississippi on May 21, 2008 after his lawyers filed evidence that he suffered from mental retardation too late.
Moreover, the Atkins v. Virginia ruling does not extend to defendants who suffer from a mental illness that does not translate into mental retardation. For example, Troy Kunkle was executed in Texas in 2005 although he suffered from schizophrenia.
Several legal and medical organisations, including the American Bar Association, have passed resolutions against the execution of the mentally ill.