Capital punishment in Europe rights became a particular priority. The Kingdom of Italy had abolished the death penalty for civilians with the adoption of the Zanardelli Penal Code of 1889, but the Fascists had reintroduced it with the 1930 Penal Code. The European Convention on Human Rights was adopted in 1950, but some countries took many years to ratify it. The United Kingdom retained the death penalty for high treason until 1998; however, this technicality was superseded by the absolute ban on the death penalty in 1976. William Joyce was the last person to be put to death for high treason in the UK,
Texas Students Against the Death Penalty governments, including at The University of Texas at Austin. The "Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break" was started by Texas Moratorium Network in 2004. It is now organized by Texas Students Against the Death Penalty and co-sponsored by TMN, Campus Progress at the Center for American Progress, Campaign to End the Death Penalty, Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and Murder Victims' Families for Human Rights. The "2009 Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break" is March 12–16. Alternative Spring Breaks are designed to give students something to do during their week off. The specific purpose of this Alternative Spring Break is