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Oklahoma organizations join national campaign to abolish the death penalty

This Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014 photo shows the gurney in the the execution chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Okla.
Sue Ogrocki
/
AP
This Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014 photo shows the gurney in the the execution chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Okla.

A nationwide coalition of organizations advocating for the end of capital punishment announced its launch on Wednesday. Several Oklahoma-based organizations are joining the campaign.

The U.S. Campaign to End the Death Penalty held a press conference to announce more than 50 local and national groups opposing capital punishment are coming together to advocate for an end to the practice nationwide.

Executive Director Laura Porter said support for the death penalty has been steadily dropping since 1994 and cited Gallup poll data showing less than half of adult respondents ages 18 to 54 support capital punishment.

“In this moment, we see a very clear disconnect between a handful of politicians pushing for more executions and the expansion of the death penalty and current public sentiment on the issue. We want to make sure policymakers know the country is moving away from the death penalty,” Porter said.

Oklahoma-based organizations partnering with the campaign include Oklahoma Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Black Lives Matter OKC, and the Julius Jones Institute.

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Hannah France joined KGOU as a reporter in 2021, shortly after earning a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. In 2023, Hannah was the first place recipient of the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists' Radio Outstanding Reporter Portfolio award. Hannah reports on a variety of topics including criminal justice, housing, and labor rights and is dedicated to educating and empowering Oklahomans through community storytelling.
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