Commutation requests move to governor’s desk

The governor must now decide whether to reduce the prison sentences of the final nine individuals being assisted through a commutation campaign.

Michael McNutt, a spokesman for Gov. Mary Fallin, said the second batch of recommendations should reach the governor’s office within the next two weeks. He said Fallin will carefully review them and act “in a timely manner.”

“It is a priority of Governor Fallin to act on pardons, paroles, and commutations to get them processed as expeditiously as possible so that a backlog is not left for the next administration,” McNuttwrote in an email.

On Wednesday, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted to recommend commutations for a second group of applicants who were part of the campaign led by Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform.

The coalition, inpartnership with the Tulsa County Public Defender’s Office, University of Tulsa law students and other community partners, has been helping select inmates who are serving 10 years or more for crimes that now carry no prison time or less prison time under recent reforms approved by voters and lawmakers, such as State Question 780.

The state question, which took effect July 1, 2017, made some drug and property crimes misdemeanors instead of felonies but didn’t apply retroactively.

Last week, Fallin commuted sentences to time served for 21 nonviolent offenders who were previously recommended to her as part of the commutation campaign.

One of the goals of the commutation campaign was to start a larger conversation about making State Question 780 and other recent sentencing changes retroactive.

John Estus, chief of staff for Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, said there has been “tremendous interest” in extending the campaign.

“We are in talks with a number of parties about whether that would be possible,” Estus said. “But the most aggressive thing we can do is convince the Legislature and elected leaders in the state that making these laws retroactive is a smart, safe thing to do. We believe it is, and we believe we have a convincing case to prove that.”

Several state lawmakers have said they intend to work to make State Question 780 retroactive during the upcoming legislative session.