WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin granted commutations to 21 individuals who are serving decades-long prison sentences for low-level offenses that carry no prison terms or far shorter prison terms under current law. FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement on the commutations:
“Today’s decision by Governor Mary Fallin will allow 21 families to be reunited this evening. Gov. Fallin’s decision ensures children will be tucked into bed by their parents and the gift of love will be felt in their homes this holiday season. We welcome this important news and we applaud the Governor for her leadership in improving Oklahoma’s criminal justice system and helping individuals who were punished unfairly by outdated laws. But this work is far from done.
“Despite the state referendum, there are over a thousand people still in incarcerated because the reform measures are not retroactive. FWD.us is proud to stand with Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform as we continue to call on the Oklahoma legislature to enact bold reforms that address excessive and unjust prison sentences, starting with making voter-approved reforms retroactive to help the more than one thousand Oklahomans still in prison for simple drug possession.”