2021: Oklahoma Criminal Justice Reform Steps Forward, Steps Back
It’s time to recap some of the major wins, losses, and what’s on the horizon for advocates of criminal justice reform in Oklahoma.
SB334: Creating Felons and Punishing Taxpayers
The sponsor and supporters of SB 334 believe an Oklahoman committing misdemeanor theft at a rate of $5 a day … should be incarcerated for up to two years at a total potential cost of nearly $40,000. You foot the bill with your tax dollars and the cost represents 20X the value of stolen merchandise in these cases.
SQ781 Funding – Money for Addiction Treatment
It has been almost five years since the voters affirmatively said “yes!” to criminal justice reform that can save lives and taxpayer dollars. In those five years, the relevant stakeholders have not been able to settle upon a correct dollar amount that can be funneled into the SQ781 fund.
Oklahoma House Bill 1625 – Possession with Intent to Distribute Reform
Defines possession with intent to distribute (PWID) to distinguish between PWID (a felony) and simple possession (a misdemeanor). This change prevents inappropriate and inconsistent charging practices.
Medical Parole Reform – HB1903, SB320, & SB396
These bills define medical frailty and medical vulnerability for medical parole consideration to expand compassionate release and safely reduce the prison population.
Oklahoma House Bill 2879 – Violence Prevention Innovation Fund
OCJR is happy to have partnered with providers of services to domestic violence victims in creating HB2879. In short, HB2879 takes savings from significant sentencing reforms outlined in SB704 and funnels them to providers who can support and innovate ways to reduce interpersonal and gender based violence.
Oklahoma Senate Bill 704 – Sentence Enhancement Reform
Authored by Senator Dave Rader, this SB704 is OCJR’s most ambitious legislation this session. SB704 has the potential to help Oklahomans serving excessive sentences for truly non-violent crimes while saving the state over $100 Million dollars over the next ten years.