Oregon Governor Kate Brown Commutes All Death Sentences For All Death Row Inmates, Calls Death Penalty Immoral

Before she leaves office, outgoing Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced that she commuted the sentences of all 17 death row inmates in the state. She then called the punishment of death both dysfunctional and immoral.

According to CNN, the Democratic governor changed the death row inmates' punishment from the death penalty to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. She used her executive clemency powers to commute the sentences with less than a month remaining in her term. Her order will officially take effect on Wednesday.

In her statement, the outgoing governor stated that she has long believed that justice is not advanced by taking a life. She added that the state should not be in the business of executing people, and it does not matter what crime that person did to land them in prison.

Brown did acknowledge that the victims of these inmates have experienced "pain and uncertainty" as they wait for the execution of these individuals, but she hopes that their commutation will bring

a "significant step closer to finality in these cases."

Republicans Slam Governor Kate Brown's Decision to Commute Death Penalty

While many human rights and advocacy groups lauded her decision to commute all death sentences, this was not as well received by the state's minority Republican opposition, according to the Associated Press.

Vikki Breese-Iverson, the Oregon House Minority leader and the Oregon House's Top Republican, criticized Governor Brown and stated that she lacked "responsible judgment."

Breese-Iverson added that the governor used executive action without even consulting with Oregonians as well as the state legislature. She added that Brown's decisions have not considered what impact it would have on the victims and their families, who should suffer in the months and years to come. She also accused Democrats of choosing the criminals over their victims.

Death Penalty Remains Legal in Oregon, but Nobody Executed for Over 20 Years

Brown had reached her term limit, and her decision came just in time. However, this is also not without merit, as the state of Oregon has not executed any prisoner since 1997.

NBC News pointed out that while Oregon remains one of the 27 states that still permit the death penalty, it has only executed people twice since the punishment was reinstated in 1984. The first came in September 1996, with the second one happening less than a year later in May 1997.

This means that in over two decades, the state has not executed anyone, with the prisoners just languishing on death row.

First established as a form of capital punishment in the 19th century, the death penalty has been abolished and reinstated in the state several times.

Meanwhile, Governor Kate Brown will be replaced by another Democrat, Tina Kotek. The outgoing governor followed in the footsteps of a previous Democratic governor, John Kitzhaber, who also commuted the death sentences for inmates back in 2011.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Oregon governor commutes all remaining death sentences to life in prison - KGW News