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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown explains why she commuted2 all of her state's death sentences
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 | |
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2 commuted | |
通勤( commute的过去式和过去分词 ); 减(刑); 代偿 | |
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3 transcript | |
n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书 | |
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4 tenure | |
n.终身职位;任期;(土地)保有权,保有期 | |
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5 moratorium | |
n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期),延期偿付 | |
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6 commuting | |
交换(的) | |
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7 democrat | |
n.民主主义者,民主人士;民主党党员 | |
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8 clemency | |
n.温和,仁慈,宽厚 | |
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9 rehabilitative | |
使复原的,复职的 | |
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10 immoral | |
adj.不道德的,淫荡的,荒淫的,有伤风化的 | |
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11 wasteful | |
adj.(造成)浪费的,挥霍的 | |
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12 taxpayer | |
n.纳税人 | |
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13 equitably | |
公平地 | |
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14 uncertainty | |
n.易变,靠不住,不确知,不确定的事物 | |
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15 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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16 offense | |
n.犯规,违法行为;冒犯,得罪 | |
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17 eradicate | |
v.根除,消灭,杜绝 | |
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18 equitable | |
adj.公平的;公正的 | |
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19 solely | |
adv.仅仅,唯一地 | |
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20 immorality | |
n. 不道德, 无道义 | |
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21 frankly | |
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 | |
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22 opposition | |
n.反对,敌对 | |
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23 chamber | |
n.房间,寝室;会议厅;议院;会所 | |
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24 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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25 mandate | |
n.托管地;命令,指示 | |
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26 constituents | |
n.选民( constituent的名词复数 );成分;构成部分;要素 | |
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27 applied | |
adj.应用的;v.应用,适用 | |
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28 aligned | |
adj.对齐的,均衡的 | |
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