News & Commentary
Ending Indefinite Solitary Confinement for the Vast Majority of People with Death Sentences in Oklahoma
By Travis Handler
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Not in My Name Coalition Meeting
Every Oklahoman must ask themselves not whether they support the death penalty, but rather: Do I trust the government with the power to kill its citizens—especially after catastrophic failures in the recent past?
Oklahoma's criminal legal system has failed to protect the innocent, those with serious mental health conditions, and individuals who have suffered adverse childhoods from execution. We cannot allow this to continue! Capital Punishment is racist, arbitrary, costly, and error-prone. It is time to end the death penalty once and for all.
The mission of the Not in My Name Coalition is to raise awareness, educate, and mobilize individuals and groups to take a stand against the use of capital punishment in the state of Oklahoma. Through our efforts, we strive to foster a culture of empathy by validating the humanity of people incarcerated on death row and advocating for their fundamental rights. Together, we declare, Not in My Name: we stand against the ultimate and irreversible act of state-sanctioned violence. Join the fight to end the death penalty in Oklahoma by becoming part of the Not in My Name Coalition. As a member, you will be informed of local events and rallies, gain a space to organize, and join a network of dedicated individuals who are committed to the work alongside you. Sign up now!
ACLU Responds to Denial of Commutation of Four Domestic Violence Survivors, including ACLU client Tondalao Hall
ACLU of Oklahoma Calls on State Board of Health to Retract Unconstitutional Medical Marijuana Rules
The ACLU of Oklahoma issued today a letter to Tom Bates, Interim Commissioner for the Department of Health, notifying the Department of serious concerns with the emergency rules and Constitutional violations within those rules. The ACLU joins in the concerns expressed by the Attorney General.
Oklahoma District Attorney Candidate Questionnaires
For more than 50 years, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma has worked in the courts, the legislature, and through public education to protect individuals’ civil rights and liberties. As part of our organization’s nationwide effort to cut the nation’s prison population in half while combating racial disparities in the criminal justice system, the ACLU of Oklahoma is launching a public education campaign around prosecutorial discretion. Our goal is to educate voters, including members of the ACLU of Oklahoma and those directly impacted by incarceration, about the role the district attorneys play in mass incarceration.
ACLU of Oklahoma, CAIR OK File Suit on Behalf of Muslim Woman Barred From Courthouse Over Hijab
The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK) and the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma (ACLU of OK) today announced the filing of a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of a Tulsa Muslim woman refused entry to the Tulsa County Courthouse because of her hijab, or religious head covering. The lawsuit alleges that the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office violated Suha Elqutt’s rights under the First Amendment and under Oklahoma’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
ACLU of Oklahoma, Freedom Oklahoma Respond to Signing of SB 1140
We are disappointed, though frankly unsurprised, that the Governor chose today to continue the Legislature’s game of using children and LGBT Oklahomans as pawns in cruel political games. SB 1140 is discriminatory, anti-family, anti-children, and anti-First Amendment. Rather than stand up...
The Oklahoma Legislature Falls Short on Criminal Justice Reform
At the outset of this legislative session, it felt as if the political moment for criminal justice reform had finally arrived. Representative Scott Biggs, the former waterboy for the District Attorneys lobbying group, had just resigned. His resignation marked the end of his reign as a House Committe
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ACLU of Oklahoma Calls Upon Legislature to Immediately Reject Reckless and Cruel Proposal to Expand Use of Life without Parole Sentences for Juvenile Offenders
The ACLU of Oklahoma called today upon the Oklahoma Legislature to immediately reject SB 1221 as amended. Originally the bill was written to require training for members of the Pardon and Parole Board, however at the request of the District Attorney’s Council it was amended at the last minute to create a problematic process whereby children can be sentenced to life without parole. The following statement is attributable to ACLU of Oklahoma Executive Director, Ryan Kiesel: “It has been clear for too long that the legislature is playing puppet to the District Attorneys’ puppet master. The District Attorneys Council has used its unchecked power to push back against popular, meaningful reforms and now in a classic bait and switch, the DAC undermined another reform measure through an amendment targeting one of our most at-risk populations: children in the justice system.
ACLU of Oklahoma Selects Oklahoma Dreamers to Receive 2018 Angie Debo Civil Liberties Award
ACLU of Oklahoma Responds to Watered Down Criminal Justice Reform Bills, Urges Voters to Demand Real Reform at Ballot Box
Today, members of the Oklahoma Legislature moved forward with their effort to pass watered down criminal justice reform bills that fail to adequately address Oklahoma’s mass incarceration crisis. Despite efforts of legislative leadership to claim any affirmative step toward reform as a victory, these weak bills barely move Oklahoma’s criminal justice system beyond the abysmal status quo.
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