Event

Dr. Allen Ault at The Well

Co-Sponsored with the WA Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

All are welcome to attend regardless of ability to pay.

As the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections, Dr. Allen Ault oversaw the executions of five men, ordering the prison electrician to pull the switch that would end their lives. These men were murderers, but they would not be the only ones who killed. What is the impact of the death penalty on those asked to carry out the ultimate punishment? The prison guards and officials are the ones who mete out the order handed down by those jurors, judges, journalists, politicians and civilians who are so far removed from the final act of killing. According to Dr. Ault, the State should not be asking its employees to kill. The effects are damaging and long-lasting. Join us as we continue the conversation about the death penalty. We will hear about his experience and why he went from warden to abolitionist.

Allen L. Ault currently serves as Dean of the College of Justice and Safety at Eastern Kentucky University. The College has grown 300% since his appointment in 2003. Prior to coming to EKU, he served as Chief for the National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Justice Department in Washington, D.C. Dr. Ault has also served as a Warden of a maximum security prison and then as Commissioner of state departments of corrections for five governors in three states. He also served as Chairman of the Florida Board of Corrections for eight years. During his career, he has been Chairman and Full Professor in the Criminal Justice Department at Georgia State University, a Rehabilitation Counselor, Director of State Programs for the Mentally Retarded, and President of a national criminal justice consulting firm. He received a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling and a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Georgia. He has participated in Post-Doctoral work at Harvard University.