Bulk of Oregon's death row inmates mentally impaired
Most of the 35 people on Oregon's death row have intellectual disabilities, mental illness, brain injury or were convicted as adolescents, according to a recently released report.
Harvard Law School's Fair Punishment Project conducted a study of Oregon's death row and determined
that 25 percent of the people there have evidence of intellectual disability or traumatic brain injury. The same amount had symptoms of mental illness, and one-third of death row inmates had a history of severe childhood or emotional trauma. Six were under the age of 21 at the time of their crimes.
Death penalty opponents have cited the report as another sign of the need to carefully re-examine the state's stance on capital punishment.
Read more: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/crime/2016/12/23/oregon-death-row-inmates-mentally-impaired/95794624/