News & Commentary

ACLU of Oklahoma and partners submit a draft executive order addressing the most urgent next steps in addressing COVID-19 in our prisons and jails before it becomes a crisis that overwhelms not only custodial care providers but the Oklahoma medical system at large.

Freedom Oklahoma and the ACLU of Oklahoma released recommendations that the Oklahoma City government, State officials, and policymakers across Oklahoma must consider to achieve a fair and effective response to COVID-19.

Thank you to the Oklahoma City Municipal Judicial leadership for an urgent response to COVID-19 that centers the public health of everyone who is a part of the legal system, especially those currently detained. We hope this will serve as a model to other Oklahoma municipalities and jurisdictions during this pandemic.  

The ACLU will be watching closely to make sure the government's response is ​scientifically justified and no more intrusive on civil liberties than absolutely necessary. This includes keeping an eye on people in prisons and jails, who are especially vulnerable to outbreaks of contagious illnesses because they are housed in close quarters, with limited resources, and are often in poor health.

While most Oklahomans are aware that our legislature is meeting, it can be hard to follow along with what exactly is happening--so much of what goes on inside the Capitol is shrouded in layers of process and jargon. So, for months at a time legislators move their priorities through the various chambers, titles move on and off, amendments are submitted with little time to review, and major deadlines mean sometimes more than 100 bills are heard in a day. A handful of bills get signed into law in these early months, but often it seems like a sprint to get bills across the final hurdles as a state budget is wrapped up in May, and the public gets toplines of the best and the worst through legislative wrap up articles or coverage around effective dates. In an election year, all of that seems especially true, with many bills moving along party lines for the sake of partisan talking points and political scorecards. But then, you have bills like Senate Bill 1728, which poses an entirely different kind of danger. 

In Canadian County, Oklahoma if you have the money, you get out of jail. If you are poor, you stay in. That’s why we sued.

On November 19th, our team will be in Denver, CO for oral argument in front of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in McCraw, et al. v. Oklahoma City, our free speech challenge against Oklahoma’s City's anti-panhandling ordinance. This case is about protecting the freedom of speech for Oklahomans.  

When Governor Kevin Stitt talks about being a top 10 state, a lot of folks envision a day like Friday, when Oklahoma is set to make history with the largest single-day of commutations in the history of the United States. But I believe when the Governor talks about giving the voters big, meaningful change that centers on best practices rather than politics, as usual, Oklahoma could do more. The Pardon and Parole Board has a chance to give the voters what they’ve asked for, and ensure that all 900 people serving time in prison for charges that today would carry no prison time have a chance at relief. But instead, reporting suggests less than half of the eligible folks will get the chance to return home. 

On October 8th, 2019, Tondalao Hall received a unanimous vote by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board to recommend her for commutation to Governor Stitt.