Saying it’s the last request to adjust the state’s death row execution schedule, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Department of Corrections Executive Director Steven Harpe filed a joint motion asking for the next phase of execution to have 90-day intervals between. The time adjustment allows the DOC staff to execute a set of tasks ahead of carrying out the death penalty. It also helps address possible mental health issues the staff might be dealing with because of the nature of executions.
Drummond met with the families of the victims ahead of this filing to explain why it was necessary.
These families have waited far too long for justice to be done,” Drummond said. “Each family has a heartbreaking story of tragic loss, and it grieves me that the death penalty system takes so many years to deliver closure. Their day for justice draws closer. When that day comes, I will be there to bear witness.”
Harpe says the integrity of the process is at stake.
“The previous model put a massive strain on ODOC to carry out daily operations due to the time the employees spent away from their primary posts to perform the required number of drills,” said Harpe.
“We appreciate Attorney General Drummond’s help in navigating this petition to adjust executions to every 90 days. This will allow ODOC to carry out the court-ordered warrants within a timeframe that will minimize the disruptions to normal operations. This pace also protects our team’s mental health and allows time for them to process and recover between the scheduled executions.”
Drummond’s previous request was to set executions 60-days apart and was granted by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.
