Study: Oklahoma Executes More People Per Capita Than Any Other State

Oklahoma will continue executing inmates on a monthly basis. Next week, Richard Fairchild is scheduled to be executed. 

Fairchild was convicted of beating a child to death in 1993.  

Supporters of Fairchild say he should be taken off of death row because of brain damage that has left him ‘vulnerable and weak.’ 

A recent nationwide study is highlighting Oklahoma executions, as many states across the country abolish the death penalty. 

This study was released by the Death Penalty Information Center and is part of a series called “Deeply Rooted.” It takes a look what they call serious problems with Oklahoma’s death penalty.  

Oklahoma County has imposed the most death sentences of any county it’s size in the U.S. and per capita- Oklahoma and Tulsa County fall as first and second in the nation in execution. 

“In Oklahoma, the majority of people who have been scheduled for execution have diagnosed mental illnesses and this causes a number of issues and concerns," said Ngozi Ndulue with the Death Penalty Information Center. 

“We see more and more of the people who actually end up being executed, having issues like severe mental illness, brain damage," said Ndulue. 

She says mental illnesses or severe cognitive problems should exclude people from the death penalty. 

The third of 25 executions in the state scheduled over the next 2 years is set for a week from Thursday.  

“The death penalty is supposed to be reserved with the worst of the worst; the worst of the worst crimes, the worst of the worst as far as the most culpable people," said Ndulue. 

"People kind of question that that if we're talking about people who have these significant cognitive issues, significant mental health issues, whether they actually fit into that category.” 

Another issue highlighted in the study is the monthly scheduling of executions. It says that this back-to-back schedule puts pressure on the system. 

“We know that when a death sentence and execution date is coming up. people are working around the clock on the next case," said Ndulue. 

She says this is straining for the lawyers on both sides, courts, and even the prison staff. She says heightened security around executions can be taxing for guards. She also says this back-to-back can put pressure on courts to make quick decisions on serious issues such as competency. 

Attorney General John O’Connor issued the following statement on the study and Oklahoma’s scheduled executions. 

“The family of each murder victim suffers unspeakable pain when their loved one is murdered. Those wounds are torn open many times during the following decades, as the investigations, trials, appeals, and pardon and parole board hearings occur. Each stage brings torment and yet a desire for justice for the heinous treatment of their family member. The family feels that the suffering and loss of life of the victim and their own pain are forgotten when the murderer is portrayed in the media as a sympathetic character. The family knows that the execution of the murderer cannot bring their loved one back. They suspect it will not bring them ‘closure’ or ‘finality’ or ‘peace,’ but there is justice and perhaps an end to the ongoing wounding by ‘the murderer and then the system.’ 

“As Brian Howell, brother of murder victim Paul Howell, shared with our office, ‘Unless you are a family member of a murder victim or have worked closely with victims’ families, I don’t think you can fully understand what a difficult, emotional, and gut-wrenching experience it is to revisit those memories years or even decades after the crime.’ 

“Oklahomans overwhelmingly favor capital punishment. In 2016, nearly two-thirds of the electorate voted to amend the state constitution to guarantee the state’s power to impose capital punishment. My office believes in justice for victims and their loved ones, and in capital punishment as appropriate for those who commit the most heinous murders. It is an oft-quoted claim of death penalty opponents that there is no evidence capital punishment deters murder. This is simply not correct, no matter how many times it is repeated. We know it removes one murderer from society. Murders can be arranged from within prisons. Further, these claims often rest on a straight comparison of the murder rate between capital and non-capital states, but such comparisons do not account for the many other factors that affect crime rates. In fact, when these variables are properly controlled, studies establish, as the late United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia recognized, that each state execution deters an average of between 14 and 18 murders in that state. Glossip v. Gross, 576 U.S. 863, 897 (2015) (Scalia, J., concurring). 

“Although I respect the opinions of death penalty opponents, I disagree with their position and believe firmly that capital punishment is proportional as a criminal sanction, effective as a deterrent, and absolutely necessary to achieve justice for the families and loved ones of the victims. My office remains committed to Oklahomans who have waited decades for justice after suffering unthinkable loss and pain. For them, capital punishment is not an abstract debate.”