Coronavirus Derails Effort To Shorten Prison Terms In Oklahoma
Organizers have been collecting signatures as part of a ballot initiative known as State Question 805, which calls for the end of sentencing enhancements for people convicted of nonviolent crimes.
Lauren Gill Mar 20, 2020
Yesterday, Oklahoma Saw The Largest Mass Commutation In U.S. History
Spotlights like this one provide original commentary and analysis on pressing criminal justice issues of the day. You can read them each day in our newsletter, The Daily Appeal. At least 462 people were released early from Oklahoma prisons yesterday in the largest mass commutation in U.S. history. A total of 527 people had their sentences […]
Sarah Lustbader Nov 05, 2019
Using Nitrogen Gas For Executions Is Untested and Poorly Understood. Three States Plan to Do It Anyway.
Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Alabama have all authorized the practice in capital punishment. So what happens now?
Lauren Gill Oct 25, 2019
A Deadly Father-And-Son Bank Robbery Raises Questions About Culpability and The Adolescent Mind
Christopher Lay grew up under the influence of a father who was mentally ill. Drawn into a crime at age 19, he’s now seeking a second chance that could help other young adults demand the same.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Oct 18, 2019
U.S. Prisoners on Death Row Endure Permanent Solitary Confinement Before Execution
With Appeal staff reporter Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg
Adam H. Johnson Oct 03, 2019
Oklahoma Department of Corrections Agrees to Move ‘Qualifying’ Death Row Prisoners Out of Tomblike Unit
Some death row prisoners will be moved to another unit with access to direct sunlight, fenced-in recreation, and contact visits, department says.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 28, 2019
Oklahoma’s Death Row Prisoners Are Forced Into Permanent Solitary Confinement. They are ‘Buried Alive,’ Advocates Say.
Civil rights groups demand change as other states move away from the practice of isolating people sentenced to death.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Sep 25, 2019
Mother’s Lawsuit Says Oklahoma Prison Failed to Prevent Her Daughter’s Death
New development in a high-profile case comes as advocates question the state’s prison conditions and sentencing practices.
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg Oct 17, 2018