Oklahoma’s Justice System is Broken
OCJR combines the power of research-backed reforms and a network of policy makers to create a system that will stop the pain inflicted on Oklahomans by an ineffective legal system.
The State of Oklahoma’s Criminal Legal System
At the height of Oklahoma’s incarceration rate, crime rates continued to grow.
90%
higher burglary rate than the national average
5x
more likely for black Oklahomans to be incarcerated than their white counterparts
3rd
highest incarceration rate
1 out of 3
relationships experience domestic violence
Our Mission
Serve as a catalyst for systemic change in Oklahoma’s criminal legal system to promote just and appropriate accountability while reducing mass incarceration and its generational harm to families.
What we've accomplished
Oklahoma’s prison population has decreased by 21% since 2016, and crime rates have fallen along with it.
What we’re working on
There is still work to be done to make Oklahoma communities safer, save taxpayer dollars, and improve justice system outcomes.
Reforms passed:
SQ 780
Helped reduce Oklahoma's prison population by 5,000 since 2016, and Oklahoma has closed four prisons.
SQ 781
Investments in community mental health and addiction treatment.
HB 3316
Oklahoma's Clean Slate law.
Reducing Sentences:
Oklahomans currently serve...
90%
longer in prison for theft and fraud,
105%
longer for drug trafficking, and
115%
longer for motor vehicle theft than the national average.
$1B +
in prison cost saved since 2016
$230M
could be saved by reducing sentences of surrounding states
Join the Conversation
OCJR publishes non-partisan, research-backed media that empowers Oklahomans with actionable information and resources.
Why Clean Slate Legislation Is Essential for Building a Better Future
The Clean Slate legislation, adopted by Oklahoma in 2022, provides individuals with non-violent criminal records a pathway to redemption by automatically sealing these records after a specified time. This streamlined process aims to lower barriers to education, employment, and housing for over 100,000 Oklahomans by making expungements more accessible. Currently, a staggering 94% of eligible individuals in Oklahoma have not received expungements due to high costs and complicated procedures. The legislation not only assists individuals in breaking cycles of poverty and recidivism but also enhances public safety. Studies show that those who receive expungements experience low rearrest rates and improved economic outcomes, including significant income increases. On a broader scale, Clean Slate laws can potentially boost the economy by enabling more individuals to enter the workforce, contributing to higher tax revenues, and reducing reliance on public assistance. Overall, these policies aim to create safer, more prosperous communities by allowing individuals to move forward and participate fully in society.
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Building a United Coalition
We’ve built a coalition of legislators and policy organizations that play a vital role in putting proven criminal justice alternatives into action.
As a nonpartisan organization, we identify common ground in the legislative space and alert our coalition partners to it. With one ear to the state senate floor and the other to the criminal legal reform national stage, OCJR unites network partners in our state and beyond to draft data-driven policies that better protect and serve Oklahoma communities and maximize the impact of taxpayer dollars.
