Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Death Penalty Facts

Justice: Does Killing Convicted Murderers Provide Victims with Justice, Revenge or Retribution?

Innocence and Mistakes: Have we had mistakes in Oregon?

Murder Victim Families Against the Death Penalty

Deterrence: Does the Death Penalty Prevent More Murders?

What is the cost of the death penalty in Oregon?

OADP Death Penalty Facts - Religion and the Bible

Alternatives to the Death Penalty in Oregon

13 Reasons to Oppose the Death Penalty in Oregon

News & Press

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Washington Supreme Court Tosses Out State's Death Penalty

Oct. 11, 2018 AP Washington’s Supreme Court unanimously struck down the state’s death penalty Thursday, ruling that it had been used in an arbitrary and racially discriminatory manner.

Washington has had a moratorium on executions since 2014, but the ruling makes it the 20th state to do away with capital punishment by legislative act or court decree. The court converted the sentences of the eight people on Washington’s death row to life in prison.

Oregonian: In the crosshairs of conscience: John Kitzhaber's death penalty reckoning

To cope with his dread, John Kitzhaber opened his leather-bound journal and began to write. It was a little past 9 on the morning of Nov. 22, 2011. Gary Haugen had dropped his appeals. A Marion County judge had signed the murderer's death warrant, leaving Kitzhaber, a former emergency room doctor, to decide Haugen's fate. The 49-year-old would soon die by lethal injection if the governor didn't intervene. Read More

Not in Our Name

Telling a story can be a powerful means of expressing a point of view, evoking emotions, or explaining a difficult situation. In a new publication from OADP, nine Oregonians have shared their painful stories and opened their hearts in Not in Our Name, a composite of stories shared by murder victim family members.

To download your copy of Not in Our Name, please share or donate below:

Portland Tribune: Kitzhaber: Repeal of death penalty is only one step

Monday, August 28, 2017 Former governor urges greater spending on alternatives to alleviate poverty and prevent crime; group launches 'million conversations'
Former Gov. John Kitzhaber is the most prominent voice against Oregon's death penalty, but he says repeal is a step toward a greater goal.

The Conversation

Three former Oregon State officials discuss their roles in the execution of two inmates, and share their feelings about the execution process and the use of the death penalty.

The Conversation from Now Video on Vimeo.

In the Executioner's Shadow

Million Conversations

Common Questions

Does Oregon currently have the death penalty?

Capital punishment is legal in the U.S. state of Oregon. The first execution under the territorial government was in 1851. Capital punishment was made explicitly legal by statute in 1864, and executions have been carried out exclusively at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem since 1904. The death penalty was outlawed between 1914 and 1920, again between 1964 and 1978, and then again between a 1981 Oregon Supreme Court ruling and a 1984 ballot measure. Since 1904, about 60 individuals have been executed in Oregon. Aggravated murder is the only crime subject to the penalty of death under Oregon law.

Is there anyone currently on death row in Oregon?

Thirty-four people are currently on Oregon's death row.

What is the method of execution in Oregon?

The current method of execution in Oregon is lethal injection.

Mission Statement

The mission of Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (OADP) is to repeal the death penalty in Oregon as an essential step toward a more cost-effective, humane and restorative response to violent crime, and thus toward safer, more peaceful and just communities.