STORY
Let the one who is without sin throw the first stone. John 8:7
Our culture is haunted by blood. We kill. Then, we kill those who kill. Then, our children are taught to kill.
Amidst the vicious cycle of the physical and moral carnage of such lunacy, Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood has chosen resistance.
Indeed, the work of moral and spiritual resistance is at the core of the work of Dr. Hood.
In various visitation rooms and execution chambers, Dr. Hood has advocated for and ministered to those condemned by society.
In Texas, he collaborated with Steven Nelson's wife, Helene Noa Dubois, to support and accompany him to his execution.
United in purpose, they seek to live out the principles that have guided Dr. Hood’s work from the beginning.
The Execution Intervention Project is about telling the truth and boldly intervening on behalf of the condemned, regardless of where it takes us.
WE EXIST TO RESIST.
Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood
Priest & Founder
The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood is a nationally recognized priest (Old Catholic) and public theologian. Dr. Hood holds advanced degrees from a wide diversity of institutions, including Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Candler School of Theology at Emory University, the University of Alabama, Creighton University and Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University. In addition to formal degrees, Dr. Hood has studied throughout the world at alternative centers of meditation and theological exploration. Author of over 100 books and countless significant articles, Dr. Hood’s work and activism has also appeared extensively in the national and international media, including extended profiles in Rolling Stone, Newsweek, USA Today and GQ, a plethora of other print interviews and appearances on the BBC World Service, NBC Nightly News, NPR’s Morning Edition, CNN, MSNBC and Good Morning America amongst a whole host of outlets.
Dr. Hood has received awards for his work against the death penalty, for the rights of LGBTQ persons and for leadership during the Black Lives Matter Movement. A participant in history, Dr. Hood organized and led the July 7, 2016, Dallas, Texas rally against police brutality that tragically ended in the shooting deaths of five police officers and appeared extensively in the media afterward calling for a revival of both love and justice.
In his primary work as a national death row spiritual advisor, Dr. Hood regularly accompanies individuals that he works with to their executions and comforts them as they are executed. There is no other spiritual advisor in the country who has been present in the execution chamber to provide comfort during as many executions as Dr. Hood. In Alabama during the execution of Kenneth Smith, Dr. Hood was the first spiritual advisor to be present in the execution chamber for a nitrogen hypoxia execution in January of 2024, an unbelievably horrific moment. As both advocate and priest, Dr. Hood ensures that the guys he serves are at the center of the abolition conversation.
With many arrests, various assaults endured, near constant threats and thousands of miles marched, Dr. Hood is not afraid to give his body over to the struggle for justice.
Hélène Noa Dubois
Executive Director
Noa is a dedicated and resilient Project Manager at Electronic Arts, one of the leading video game companies in the world. Born and raised in France, she spent seven years building her career in Canada, she now resides in California. Her journey has been defined by her commitment to hard work and continuous self-improvement, always learning new skills to meet the challenges she faces.
Her strength, however, extends far beyond her career. In February 2025, she faced the unimaginable loss of her husband, Steven Nelson, who was executed by the State of Texas. During his fight, she led a relentless campaign on his behalf, creating websites, managing media relations, designing graphics, and organizing press efforts to do everything she could to amplify his voice and raise awareness of his cause. This heartbreaking experience has ignited an even stronger fire within her. Though she faces life’s toughest battles with humility and grace, she is fueled by an unwavering determination to keep moving forward. Her journey is one of quiet strength, perseverance, and a deep belief that no challenge is insurmountable, no matter how difficult the road may be.
Greg Gardner
General Counsel
Mr. Greg Gardner has devoted his professional life to helping prisoners and other marginalized people oppressed by the power of the state. He started his career as an assistant public defender in Maryland. He then accepted court appointments under the Criminal Justice Act in the District of Columbia. Since that time, Mr. Gardner has represented men on death row in habeas and civil-rights litigation, notably securing multiple stays of execution. Historically, Mr. Gardner was also intimately involved in the Ramirez v. Collier decision that solidified the right of the condemned to have their spiritual advisors present with them during executions. Mr. Gardner has also filed numerous lawsuits to secure the religious liberty of Dr. Hood and the prisoners he works with. Also of note, Mr. Gardner wrote a Federal Habeas-Corpus Procedural Basics: A Concise Introduction to assist individuals in advocating for prisoners on death row.
