Hundreds Of Oklahoma Inmates Want Sentences Commuted After Crimes Reclassified

Monday, June 17th 2019, 6:47 pm

By: News On 6

The state Pardon and Parole Board says it's seeing a significantly larger number of prisoners asking for their sentences to be commuted.

They say 750 requests were made between January and April and another 560 in May. Agency officials say the spike may be a result of voters approving State Question 780 that re-classified some non-violent drug offenses as misdemeanors.

A Look At Both Sides Of State Question 780

In May Governor Kevin Stitt also directed the board to speed up the process for those whose crimes had been re-classified under the new law.