After investing significant hours into reviewing policies and practices to ensure that executions are handled humanely, efficiently, and in accordance with state statute and court rulings, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections is prepared to resume executions in the state of Oklahoma.
“The Department of Corrections has addressed concerns regarding carrying out the death penalty and is prepared to follow the will of the people of Oklahoma, as expressed in state statute, and the orders of the courts by carrying out the execution of inmates sentenced to death by a jury of their peers,” said Director Scott Crow.
ODOC continues to use the approved three drug protocol which has proven humane and effective. The agency has confirmed a source to supply the drugs needed for all currently scheduled executions. Extensive validations and redundancies have been implemented since the last execution in order to ensure that the process works as intended.
The agency has no role in the decision-making process leading up to an execution. The legislature enacted the death penalty in statute. In 2016, Oklahoma voters approved State Question 776, which amended the Oklahoma Constitution to include provisions to authorize the death penalty to be administered by any method not prohibited by the U.S. Constitution. Guilt and innocence are established by a peer jury, a district court judge sentences a defendant to death, while the Court of Criminal Appeals confirms the judicial process. Finally, the Pardon and Parole Board considers whether to recommend clemency to the governor, who ultimately decides if clemency should be granted.
The execution of John Marion Grant is scheduled for October 28, 2021 at 4 p.m. at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.
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