Oklahoma prisons chief wants executions every 90 days to relieve burden on staff

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals was asked Tuesday to space out executions even more to ease the "tremendous burden" on the state's Department of Corrections.

Corrections officials want to go to 90-day intervals, once the next two scheduled lethal injections are carried out.

"The present pace of executions, every 60 days, is too onerous and not sustainable," said Steven Harpe, the executive director at the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

Harpe and Attorney General Gentner Drummond made the request in a joint motion filed Tuesday. Their request involves six death row inmates.

Drummond said he personally visited with family members of victims to explain the reason for the request.

“These families have waited far too long for justice to be done,” Drummond said in a news release. “Each family has a heartbreaking story of tragic loss, and it grieves me that the death penalty system takes so many years to deliver closure. Their day for justice draws closer. When that day comes, I will be there to bear witness.”

Harpe was sent in 2022 by Gov. Kevin Stitt to lead the state's prison system. He said in the news release the new pace will minimize the disruptions to normal operations. He also said it will protect the mental health of the staff volunteers and allow them time to process and recover between executions.

In an affidavit, he said eight teams conduct multiple mock executions in the weeks and days leading up to each scheduled one. He said that places a tremendous burden on operations and staff.

Oklahoma has carried out 11 executions since resuming them in 2021

Oklahoma resumed executions on Oct. 28, 2021, after a hiatus that lasted more than six years. So far, 11 have been carried out.

In 2021, the Court of Criminal Appeals set seven execution dates, mostly three weeks apart. Only four took place as scheduled.

In 2022, the court set 25 execution dates, in phases. Lethal injections in each phase were scheduled four weeks apart, with two-month breaks between phases. Four on that schedule were carried out.

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In January 2023, the court reset seven executions, giving the Corrections Department 60 days between lethal injections. Only three of those have taken place. Two were stayed. The next is scheduled for April 4.

Drummond asked for 60-day intervals a year ago after taking office and after witnessing the execution of Scott Eizember. He told the court a change was necessary "to alleviate the burden on DOC personnel."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma corrections head wants more time between executions