Governor Fallin Approves Commutation Requests

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today commuted the sentences of 21 nonviolent offenders. The offenders were incarcerated for 10 years or more for offenses that now carry either no prison term or a significantly shorter prison term.

Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, a bipartisan coalition of community leaders, has been working to help dozens of inmates seek a commutation, a three-step process which is a form of clemency intended to correct an unjust or excessive sentence. The final step in the process was the governor’s signed approval.

The governor’s approval commutes the sentences for all 21 offenders to time served. The inmates are expected to be freed today.

“Before these applications could get to my desk, they had to pass a rigorous review process at the Pardon and Parole Board,” said Fallin, announcing her decision aat a press conference this morning. “Not a lot of commutations reach my desk, but when I receive commutations, I give them another independent, rigorous review. I have reviewed all of these applications carefully, with the public safety of our citizens a key consideration.

“Based on the will of the voters and legislators, plus my thorough review of these cases, I cannot think of any reason why these 21 people should remain in prison. It’s not good policy and it’s not good for Oklahoma. That’s why I commuted these 21 people to time served and am sending them home for the holidays. It’s time for them to come home.”

The 21 offenders had been facing a cumulative 349 years of incarceration. Fallin’s action shaved 306 years off those sentences however, allowing the offenders to get into treatment and back into society with a plan to succeed.

In addition to helping with the commutation applications, Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform worked with family, friends and non-profits to build strong reentry plans for the offenders. The organization has secured treatment, housing, transportation and even job interview offers.

“Oklahoma has become a destructive felony factory,” said Gene Rainbolt, a board member of Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform. “For too long we have locked up Oklahomans instead of giving them the help they need to overcome their addiction and get good jobs to help grow our state’s economy.”

Rainbolt called on legislators to make State Question 780 retroactive during the next legislative session. “Oklahoma shouldn’t waste any more time and funding on out-of-date mass incarceration that does not contribute to public safety.”

Stephanie Horten, director of the Criminal Justice Collaborative at Family & Children’s Services, said: “We know that robust reentry plans for these individuals will be critical to their success, which is why Family & Children’s Services worked side-by-side with Resonance Center for Women and many other nonprofits to ensure support is built around these applicants so they know we believe in them and that they are not alone in this next phase of their lives.“

“We are thrilled Governor Fallin chose today to reunite families, especially in time for the holidays,” Horten added. “We remain dedicated to supporting families and children impacted by the criminal justice system.”

Despite today’s commutations Oklahoma continues to maintain the highest incarceration rate in the world, according to reports released earlier this year by the Prison Policy Initiative (PPI), a Massachusetts-based criminology research organization. PPI concluded that the number of prisoners in Oklahoma has close to quadrupled over the last 40 years.

The most recent State Department of Corrections count lists 61,032 offenders as either incarcerated or under community supervision.

(Image of this morning's announcement courtesy of the Governor’s office)