Commentary: Commute Oregon's death sentences to life imprisonment

I know what it is like to execute someone.

I am a retired prison superintendent who conducted the only two executions that have taken place in Oregon in the past 53 years.

The death penalty in Oregon comes at a high cost to our state in both human and fiscal resources. I call on Gov. Kitzhaber to convert 35 death sentences to life without the possibility of release before he leaves office at mid-morning on Wednesday.

Based on my experiences as a correctional professional, capital punishment is a failed public policy – especially in Oregon where we have funded a death penalty system for over 30 years, yet only put to death two inmates who volunteered themselves for execution by abandoning their appeals. No other corrections program exemplifies such a complete failure rate.

During my more than two decades of running correctional facilities, I saw the population of those who are capable of extreme violence up close.

I have no doubts at all that these offenders did not think about the death penalty for one second before committing their violent acts. Instead, research has been shown that public safety is greatly improved when our limited tax dollars are redirected to law enforcement agencies to solve cases and prevent crimes.

I understand exactly what is being asked of public employees whose jobs include carrying out the lawful orders of the judiciary to end another person's life. The burden weighs especially heavily on my conscience because I know firsthand that the death penalty is not applied fairly or equally in Oregon. I have known hundreds of inmates who are guilty of similar crimes yet did not get the death penalty because they reached a plea bargain of life without parole simply because they had the means for professional legal assistance.

I also understand, from my experiences in corrections, the potential awful and lifelong repercussions that can come from participating in the execution of prisoners. Living with the nightmares is something that some of us experience. This is particularly the case with those of us who have had more hands-on experience with the flawed capital punishment process, and/or where an execution under our supervision did not go smoothly.

Since the last execution took place in Oregon in 1997 under my watch, 77 people have been released nationally from death row due to evidence that they were wrongfully convicted. I get a chill each time I read about new evidence exonerating inmates who have been sentenced to death.

Let me be clear: Converting the sentences of death row inmates to life without the possibility of release does not excuse the horrific acts these individuals have committed. Requiring decent men and women who work in our correctional facilities to take a human life in the name of a public policy that does not work is indefensible.

Frank Thompson of Salem is retired from the positions of assistant director of institutions and superintendent of the Oregon State Penitentiary. He can be reached at Plez34@icloud.com.