Oregon Gov. Kate Brown speaks an event on February 22, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Shannon Finney/Getty Images)
Dec 14, 2022
Human rights advocates are applauding Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, after she announced Tuesday that she would commute the sentences of all 17 of the state's death row inmates and shut down its execution chamber.
Brown told Oregon Public Broadcasting that she believes the death penalty is "both dysfunctional and immoral."
"Justice is not advanced by taking a life, and the state should not be in the business of executing people--even if a terrible crime placed them in prison," said the governor, who is term-limited and will be replaced by Gov.-elect Tina Kotek, also a Democrat who opposes capital punishment, next month.
\u201cJustice is not advanced by taking a life, and the state should not be in the business of executing people\u2014 even if a terrible crime placed them in prison. Today I am commuting all death sentences in Oregon to life without parole, so we no longer have anyone facing execution here.\u201d— Governor Kate Brown (@Governor Kate Brown) 1670976257
The sentences of the 17 people on death row will be commuted to life prison sentences without the possibility of parole.
Maurice Chammah of The Marshall Project praised Brown for taking decisive action to end a practice she opposes and compared her announcement to less far-reaching decisions made by other Democrats in recent years.
\u201cThis is big. Gavin Newsom dismantled California\u2019s death chamber but didn\u2019t commute all the death sentences.\n\nJared Polis commuted 3 death sentences. \n\nAnd Biden promised to work to end the federal death penalty and has\u2026not done much of note.\n\nhttps://t.co/n6mJsx62cC\u201d— Maurice Chammah (@Maurice Chammah) 1670979993
Previously, Brown granted clemency to nearly 1,000 people during the coronavirus pandemic and allowed dozens of people convicted of crimes they committed when they were under the age of 18 to apply for clemency.
Oregon officials have taken several steps in recent years to end the use of capital punishment in the state. No one has been executed by the state since 1997, and Brown has continued a moratorium on executions that was established in 2011 by then-Gov. John Kitzhaber.
State legislators narrowed the definition of what constitutes a capital offense in 2019, and in 2020 the Oregon Department of Corrections began housing people with death sentences in special maximum security housing units and among the general prison population instead of on death row.
A public referendum is needed to remove capital punishment from the state Constitution.
\u201cNote of context: Dems in recent years significantly narrowed the scope of the death penalty in Oregon, though full abolition in this state would demand a constitutional amendment rather than a statutory change.\u201d— Taniel (@Taniel) 1670976904
Bobbin Singh of the Oregon Justice Resource Center noted that death sentences have been overturned in the state due to new evidence being uncovered.
"By all objective metrics, the death penalty is a failed policy," said Singh. "It risks executing innocent people and Oregon is not immune to the causes of wrongful conviction seen around the country."
"Oregon enters a new era today where the values that make our state better come to the forefront and we leave behind the death penalty of a cruel past," he added.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Human rights advocates are applauding Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, after she announced Tuesday that she would commute the sentences of all 17 of the state's death row inmates and shut down its execution chamber.
Brown told Oregon Public Broadcasting that she believes the death penalty is "both dysfunctional and immoral."
"Justice is not advanced by taking a life, and the state should not be in the business of executing people--even if a terrible crime placed them in prison," said the governor, who is term-limited and will be replaced by Gov.-elect Tina Kotek, also a Democrat who opposes capital punishment, next month.
\u201cJustice is not advanced by taking a life, and the state should not be in the business of executing people\u2014 even if a terrible crime placed them in prison. Today I am commuting all death sentences in Oregon to life without parole, so we no longer have anyone facing execution here.\u201d— Governor Kate Brown (@Governor Kate Brown) 1670976257
The sentences of the 17 people on death row will be commuted to life prison sentences without the possibility of parole.
Maurice Chammah of The Marshall Project praised Brown for taking decisive action to end a practice she opposes and compared her announcement to less far-reaching decisions made by other Democrats in recent years.
\u201cThis is big. Gavin Newsom dismantled California\u2019s death chamber but didn\u2019t commute all the death sentences.\n\nJared Polis commuted 3 death sentences. \n\nAnd Biden promised to work to end the federal death penalty and has\u2026not done much of note.\n\nhttps://t.co/n6mJsx62cC\u201d— Maurice Chammah (@Maurice Chammah) 1670979993
Previously, Brown granted clemency to nearly 1,000 people during the coronavirus pandemic and allowed dozens of people convicted of crimes they committed when they were under the age of 18 to apply for clemency.
Oregon officials have taken several steps in recent years to end the use of capital punishment in the state. No one has been executed by the state since 1997, and Brown has continued a moratorium on executions that was established in 2011 by then-Gov. John Kitzhaber.
State legislators narrowed the definition of what constitutes a capital offense in 2019, and in 2020 the Oregon Department of Corrections began housing people with death sentences in special maximum security housing units and among the general prison population instead of on death row.
A public referendum is needed to remove capital punishment from the state Constitution.
\u201cNote of context: Dems in recent years significantly narrowed the scope of the death penalty in Oregon, though full abolition in this state would demand a constitutional amendment rather than a statutory change.\u201d— Taniel (@Taniel) 1670976904
Bobbin Singh of the Oregon Justice Resource Center noted that death sentences have been overturned in the state due to new evidence being uncovered.
"By all objective metrics, the death penalty is a failed policy," said Singh. "It risks executing innocent people and Oregon is not immune to the causes of wrongful conviction seen around the country."
"Oregon enters a new era today where the values that make our state better come to the forefront and we leave behind the death penalty of a cruel past," he added.
Human rights advocates are applauding Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, after she announced Tuesday that she would commute the sentences of all 17 of the state's death row inmates and shut down its execution chamber.
Brown told Oregon Public Broadcasting that she believes the death penalty is "both dysfunctional and immoral."
"Justice is not advanced by taking a life, and the state should not be in the business of executing people--even if a terrible crime placed them in prison," said the governor, who is term-limited and will be replaced by Gov.-elect Tina Kotek, also a Democrat who opposes capital punishment, next month.
\u201cJustice is not advanced by taking a life, and the state should not be in the business of executing people\u2014 even if a terrible crime placed them in prison. Today I am commuting all death sentences in Oregon to life without parole, so we no longer have anyone facing execution here.\u201d— Governor Kate Brown (@Governor Kate Brown) 1670976257
The sentences of the 17 people on death row will be commuted to life prison sentences without the possibility of parole.
Maurice Chammah of The Marshall Project praised Brown for taking decisive action to end a practice she opposes and compared her announcement to less far-reaching decisions made by other Democrats in recent years.
\u201cThis is big. Gavin Newsom dismantled California\u2019s death chamber but didn\u2019t commute all the death sentences.\n\nJared Polis commuted 3 death sentences. \n\nAnd Biden promised to work to end the federal death penalty and has\u2026not done much of note.\n\nhttps://t.co/n6mJsx62cC\u201d— Maurice Chammah (@Maurice Chammah) 1670979993
Previously, Brown granted clemency to nearly 1,000 people during the coronavirus pandemic and allowed dozens of people convicted of crimes they committed when they were under the age of 18 to apply for clemency.
Oregon officials have taken several steps in recent years to end the use of capital punishment in the state. No one has been executed by the state since 1997, and Brown has continued a moratorium on executions that was established in 2011 by then-Gov. John Kitzhaber.
State legislators narrowed the definition of what constitutes a capital offense in 2019, and in 2020 the Oregon Department of Corrections began housing people with death sentences in special maximum security housing units and among the general prison population instead of on death row.
A public referendum is needed to remove capital punishment from the state Constitution.
\u201cNote of context: Dems in recent years significantly narrowed the scope of the death penalty in Oregon, though full abolition in this state would demand a constitutional amendment rather than a statutory change.\u201d— Taniel (@Taniel) 1670976904
Bobbin Singh of the Oregon Justice Resource Center noted that death sentences have been overturned in the state due to new evidence being uncovered.
"By all objective metrics, the death penalty is a failed policy," said Singh. "It risks executing innocent people and Oregon is not immune to the causes of wrongful conviction seen around the country."
"Oregon enters a new era today where the values that make our state better come to the forefront and we leave behind the death penalty of a cruel past," he added.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.