Governor's Office Admits Error In Commutation Numbers, Commutation Not Coronavirus Related

An error in numbers Thursday meant hundreds of incarcerated Oklahomans were not released. Governor Stitt's office recently announced more than 400 prisoners would be released. However, that number changed.

The governor's office said they apologize for announcing the wrong number. They said of the 400-plus commuted sentences, only 111 inmates were set free on April 16.

Fortunately for Michael Warren, he was one of the 111 inmates to walk away from prison.

“It’s not real yet,” said Warren. “It’s definitely not real. I’m sure it will hit me.”

Warren had already served nearly six years of a 32-year drug sentence, that is now considered a misdemeanor crime.

“Everything I had was non-violent,” said Warren. “So it was kind of a sentence where they kind of had to commute me in the end.”

His family is happy to have him home and at a time when practicing social distancing is nearly impossible in prison.

“That was my main worry,” said Brenda Warren, mother. “That he was going to get sick and he was going to die in there before he could ever come home.”

In fact, Warren said he did get sick three weeks ago with COVID-19 symptoms, but they are not testing behind bars for the virus.

Governor Stitt's office said the commutation Warren was part of was not related to the pandemic, but the Oklahoma Department of Corrections is taking precautions on inmates being released.

“I had to get tested twice yesterday,” said Warren. “And I guess the only way they could use the test they did get was for people who were discharging.”

Department of Corrections officials said in addition to testing discharged inmates, medical staff has tested nearly 400 inmates across the state. One test came back positive and 81 are pending. 


Warren expressed concern for the prisoners who were commuted, but have time left to serve for other sentences.

“There’s about 350 people that will not be leaving from that docket,” said Warren. “There’s a lot of them who don’t understand why they’re not going home today.”

The Governor’s office said the other prisoners approved for commutation will be released once they serve time for felony convictions.