OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Adam Luck, the former Chair of Oklahoma’s Board of Pardons and Parole and a former member of the Oklahoma Board of Corrections, recently condemned the death penalty in Oklahoma, claiming his change in perspective is based on his experience in the justice system and his Christian faith, reported the Death Penalty Information Center.
As Chair of the OBC, Luck participated in clemency hearings for multiple death row inmates, including Julius Jones and Bigler Stouffer, and supported clemency in each case, said DPIC, which said that Luck cites data indicating at least 200 death row exonerees nationwide, including 11 in Oklahoma.
DPIC quotes Luck, who states “I am convinced that the death penalty is deeply flawed, I am committed to working towards ending it wherever it is still practiced.”
Death Penalty Information Center reports Luck attributes his stance to his Christian faith and the ethical implications of deciding on another person’s life.
DPIC quotes Luck, who shares, “For a place that has more churches per capita than almost any other place in the world, to also have a greater percentage of its population behind prison walls than almost any place in the world inherently holds some contradictions.”
Opponents of SB 601 in Oklahoma believe that it will ultimately end the death penalty, and State Senator Shane Jett questioned whether the moratorium, if put in place, would lead to another moratorium or even abolish the death penalty.
DPIC quotes Gov. Kevin Stitt, who, at a press conference responding to questions about SB 601, stated the death penalty is used for the “worst of the worst” crimes and, “To postpone (executions) another two years to study this, I don’t know if I can do that.”
Sen. Rader reminded his colleagues the bill would only “pause” executions to allow investigations into system issues and “the people have said we want this, but they’re looking at us to do it right,” writes DPIC.
According to the senator, Oklahoma has failed to abide by any of the Oklahoma Death Penalty Review Commission’s 46 recommendations from its 2017 report.
