An Oklahoma mother named Tondalao was released from prison this week after serving 15 years in a case that has drawn attention because of how differently she and her boyfriend were sentenced.
Tondalao, now 35, walked out of the Mabel Bassett Correctional Center in McLoud, Oklahoma, on Friday and was greeted by her children, siblings and friends, according to reports.
The case goes back to 2004, when Tondalao and her then boyfriend, Robert, were arrested on child abuse charges after she took two of her youngest children to the hospital. Her three month old daughter had broken ribs and a broken femur, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, which represents her.
Online court records show that in 2006, after about two years in county jail, Robert pleaded guilty to two counts of abuse and was given probation. Tondalao pleaded guilty to enabling child abuse and received a total sentence of 30 years, records show. Authorities said she failed to tell police about the abuse.
She was denied commutation in 2018. Last month the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted to recommend commutation, and a Department of Corrections spokesperson said the governor approved the request on Thursday, clearing the way for her release.
In a statement released before she left prison, Tondalao thanked God and her family and supporters. Her release came days after more than 460 inmates were freed in what was described as the largest single day mass commutation in the country. Tondalao said her immediate plan is to spend time with her children and that she hopes to eventually help other incarcerated women.
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