美国国家公共电台 NPR--Oregon Gov. Kate Brown explains why she commuted all of her state's death sentences

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown explains why she commuted² all of her state's death sentences

Transcript³

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown began her tenure⁴ in 2015 by extending her predecessor's moratorium⁵ on executions.

Now, with just weeks left in office, she is commuting⁶ the sentences of all 17 people on death row in the state. They will instead serve life in prison with no chance of parole.

The Democrat⁷ announced on Tuesday that she would use her executive clemency⁸ powers to make the commutations, which took effect the following day. And she emphasized that, unlike previous commutations she's granted, they are not based on any "rehabilitative⁹ efforts" by the individuals on death row.

"Instead, it reflects the recognition that the death penalty is immoral¹⁰," she said in a statement. "It is an irreversible punishment that does not allow for correction; is wasteful¹¹ of taxpayer¹² dollars; does not make communities safer; and cannot be and never has been administered fairly and equitably¹³."

She also acknowledged the pain and uncertainty¹⁴ for victims as individuals sit on death row for decades without resolution, adding that she hopes this move "will bring us a significant step closer to finality in these cases."

Why Oregon?

Oregon has executed two individuals in the last half century, most recently in 1997. The state has abolished and readopted capital punishment several times throughout it history. Voters last brought the death penalty back in 1984, three years after the Oregon Supreme¹⁵ Court declared it unconstitutional.

Then-Gov. John Kitzhaber imposed a moratorium in 2011, which Brown has continued, and a 2019 bill significantly narrowed the scope of what constitutes a capital offense¹⁶ in the state.

The following year, Oregon's Department of Corrections closed its death-row facility and moved those individuals into the general prison population. And the state Supreme Court struck down one inmate's death sentence in a major 2021 ruling that attorneys said could eradicate¹⁷ the sentence of dozens of others in the state.

Brown has used her power of clemency more than any of the state's previous governors, Oregon Public Broadcasting reports. She granted clemency to nearly 1,000 people during the COVID-19 pandemic, a move that sparked legal challenges but was ultimately upheld by an Oregon appeals court.

Brown tells Morning Edition's Rachel Martin that the majority of her clemency work has been geared towards moving Oregon towards a more equitable¹⁸ criminal justice system — and notes that a disproportionate number of those currently on death row in the state are people of color. She says this particular action is different because it's based solely¹⁹ on "the immorality²⁰ of the death penalty."

"Justice is not advanced by taking a life and the state should not be in the business of executing people, even if a horrible, horrible crime or crimes placed them in prison," Brown says. "The death penalty also has never been administered fairly, consistently, or equitably in Oregon or frankly²¹, across the United States."

Why now?

Brown stresses that she's made her personal opposition²² to the death penalty clear from the outset, and outlined the progress her state has made in that direction during her tenure. She has also ordered the state to shut down and empty its execution chamber²³, and told OPB that the rarely-used room will be repurposed.

It's not unusual for governors to wait until their final terms to exercise their clemency power, she tells Morning Edition (Oregon limits its governors to two four-year terms). According to the American Civil Liberties Union, several former and current governors from both parties have used those powers to commute¹ their state's death rows, including Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), Gov. George Ryan (R-Ill.), and Gov. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.).

"It's certainly unacceptable to me that I would leave office without taking one final action to ensure that none of these individuals will be executed by the state," Brown says.

While Brown's decision has drawn²⁴ praise from plenty of criminal justice advocates, it's also sparked backlash from some state Republicans (who make up a minority of the legislature) and family members of victims.

She says she's confident that her commutations would be upheld in court if challenged, citing the recent court of appeals ruling restating the governor's broad authority in this area. And she rejects the idea that she acted without a mandate²⁵ from her constituents²⁶.

"I was elected by a majority of Oregonians, and I know that they share my values, that the death penalty is both dysfunctional and immoral. It is applied²⁷ inequitably. And absolutely it does not make sense," Brown says. "And I will say that Oregonians have elected time and time again governors that oppose the death penalty."

What's next?

Gov.-elect Tina Kotek, also a Democrat, told OPB while campaigning that she is opposed to the death penalty because of her religious beliefs, and would continue the moratorium if elected.

Her spokesperson told Portland TV station KATU this week that Brown's decision "is generally aligned²⁸ with her values."

Brown is the third Oregon governor to commute death sentences, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Gov. Robert Holmes commuted those imposed during his term in office from 1957-1959, and Gov. Mark Hatfield commuted all death row sentences in 1964.

1 commute   

vi.乘车上下班；vt.减(刑)；折合；n.上下班交通

参考例句：

• I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。
• Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。

2 commuted   

通勤( commute的过去式和过去分词 )； 减（刑）； 代偿

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment. 他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• The death sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment. 死刑可能減为无期徒刑。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

5 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

6 commuting   

交换（的）

参考例句：

• I used the commuting time to read and answer my mail. 我利用上下班在汽车中的时间来阅读和答复给我的函电。
• Noncommuting objects are as real to the mathematicians as commuting objects. 对于数学家来说，不可交换的对象与可交换的对象是一样真实的。

7 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

8 clemency   

n.温和，仁慈，宽厚

参考例句：

• The question of clemency would rest with the King.宽大处理问题，将由国王决定。
• They addressed to the governor a plea for clemency.他们向州长提交了宽刑的申辨书。

9 rehabilitative   

使复原的，复职的

参考例句：

• Objective To desacribe self concept and sub concept of rehabilitative schizophrenic patients. 目的探讨恢复期精神分裂症病人的自我概念。
• Objective To desacribe self concept and concept of rehabilitative schizophrenic patients. 目的探讨大学生自我概念与心理健康之间的关系。

10 immoral   

adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的

参考例句：

• She was questioned about his immoral conduct toward her.她被询问过有关他对她的不道德行为的情况。
• It is my belief that nuclear weapons are immoral.我相信使核武器是不邪恶的。

11 wasteful   

adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的

参考例句：

• It is a shame to be so wasteful.这样浪费太可惜了。
• Duties have been reassigned to avoid wasteful duplication of work.为避免重复劳动浪费资源，任务已经重新分派。

12 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

13 equitably   

公平地

参考例句：

• We should equitably assess historical figures. 我们应该公正地评价历史人物。
• Land was more equitably distributed. 土地得到更公平合理的分配。

14 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

15 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

16 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

17 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

18 equitable   

adj.公平的；公正的

参考例句：

• This is an equitable solution to the dispute. 这是对该项争议的公正解决。
• Paying a person what he has earned is equitable. 酬其应得,乃公平之事。

19 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

20 immorality   

n. 不道德, 无道义

参考例句：

• All the churchmen have preached against immorality. 所有牧师都讲道反对不道德的行为。
• Where the European sees immorality and lawlessness, strict law rules in reality. 在欧洲人视为不道德和无规则的地方，事实上都盛行着一种严格的规则。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

21 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

22 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

23 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

24 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

25 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

26 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

28 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。