Panel Recommends Keeping Moratorium On Oklahoma Death Penalty

A commission that's been conducting a review of Oklahoma's use of the death penalty says the state should extend its moratorium on capital punishment.

Members of the Oklahoma Death Penalty Review Commission made the decision unanimously. The panel released its final, 300-plus page report Tuesday.

Former Democratic Gov. Brad Henry co-chaired the group. He said the volume and seriousness of flaws with the state's system still needs reform before it can carry out the death penalty.

Executions have been on hold in Oklahoma for more than two years while new protocols for carrying out death sentences could be developed. Fifteen Oklahoma death row inmates have exhausted their appeals and are awaiting execution dates

The report's release comes a day after Arkansas carried out two executions on the same day, part of an original plan to execute eight inmates over an 11-day period.