Oklahoma — State and Local Issues — Galsworthy Criminal Justice Reform Program

More Than 450 Oklahoma Inmates Exit Prison as Part of Mass Commutation

“More than 450 inmates walked out the doors of prisons across Oklahoma on Monday as part of what state officials say is the largest single-day mass commutation in U.S. history. The release of inmates, all with convictions for low-level drug and property crimes, resulted from a bill signed by new Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt. The bill retroactively applied misdemeanor sentences for simple drug possession and low-level property crimes that state voters approved in 2016.“

TIME

November 4, 2019

State ReformsPhillip ReevesNovember 4, 2019Time Magazine, Oklahoma, CommutationsComment

Wayne Greene: If Oklahoma could get its incarceration rate down to the national average, we'd have $100 million a year do things other than mass incarceration

“So how would the state be different if our incarceration rate were at the national average? First and most obviously, there would be fewer people in prison. Based on a 2016 estimated state population of 3.93 million, there would have been 15,327 fewer people locked up in our state.“

Tulsa World

April 19, 2019

Mass IncarcerationPhillip ReevesApril 19, 2019Tulsa World, OklahomaComment

6 bills could help fix Oklahoma's high incarceration rate

“‘Oklahoma is not a safer state as a result of mass incarceration. We need to be smart on crime, and we really need to look at how we rehabilitate people back into society, being productive members of society,’ said Stoycoff.“

ABC 8 Tulsa

April 15, 2019

State ReformsPhillip ReevesApril 15, 2019ABC 8 Tulsa, OklahomaComment

Point of View: Oklahoma needs restorative system for women in prison

“These bills are a step in the right direction, but I encourage Oklahoma's leaders to take additional steps to ensure that punishments meted out to Oklahoma's mothers, daughters, sisters, and aunts are fair and proportional. Our nation's decades-long experiment in over-incarceration has shown, over and over, that harsher sentences don't yield safer streets, and locking women up unnecessarily is a poor use of taxpayer dollars.“

The Oklahoman

September 29, 2018

Prison Programs, State ReformsPhillip ReevesSeptember 29, 2018The Oklahoman, Oklahoma, Prison FellowshipComment

Expert explains how Oklahoma became No. 1 in US for prison population

“Andrew Speno, the state director for the group Right on Crime, spoke about criminal justice reform in Oklahoma and how the state became No. 1 in the U.S. in terms of prison population.“

Houston Chronicle

September 27, 2018

Mass IncarcerationPhillip ReevesSeptember 28, 2018Houston Chronicle, Oklahoma, Right on CrimeComment

49 Oklahoma inmates imprisoned for drug crimes asking for commutations

"Push for commutations is spurred by the passage of State Question 780, which starting July 1, 2017, made nonviolent drug possession offenses and low-level property offenses misdemeanors instead of felonies. Steele led the call for the state question, which was approved in November 2016 by 58 percent of Oklahoma voters."

Tulsa World

August 11, 2018

State Reforms, SentencingAnthony BradleyAugust 14, 2018Tulsa World, Oklahoma, Commutations

Oklahoma is saving millions with smart-on-crime efforts to end mass incarceration

"SQ 781 requires that the money saved from not warehousing people whose lives were salvageable must be diverted annually to county governments for use on community rehabilitation programs, such as mental health and substance abuse services."

Tulsa World

August 5, 2018

Mass Incarceration, State ReformsAnthony BradleyAugust 6, 2018Tulsa World, Oklahoma, SQ 781

Why Oklahoma Has The Highest Incarceration Rate In The U.S.

"Oklahoma has now overtaken Louisiana as the state with the highest incarceration rate in the country, according to data from the Prison Policy Initiative. Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson speaks with John Carl, a professor of sociology and criminology at the University of Oklahoma, about how the rate got so high and what kind of overhaul is in motion."

WBUR Oklahoma

July 2, 2018

State Reforms, Mass IncarcerationAnthony BradleyJuly 31, 2018Oklahoma, WBUR Oklahoma

Tulsa World editorial: Solutions are available for Oklahoma to shed No. 1 incarceration ranking

"Last year, the Bureau of Justice Statistics ranked Oklahoma second behind Louisiana. Due to prison reforms enacted in Louisiana, officials anticipated Oklahoma would become the incarceration leader. The new ranking became official earlier this month."

Tulsa World

June 17, 2018

Mass Incarceration, State ReformsAnthony BradleyJuly 31, 2018Tulsa World, Oklahoma

A memory to celebrate: Oklahoma criminal justice reforms signed into law

"Kids, especially, are deeply impacted by criminal justice policies, which is why OICA considers these reforms a top priority. Sending a parent to prison is one of the most traumatizing things one can do to his or her child."

Oklahoma City Sentinel

May 16, 2018

State ReformsAnthony BradleyJuly 31, 2018Oklahoma City Sentinel, Oklahoma

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