OKLAHOMA NEEDS SENTENCING REFORM A Comprehensive, Reform-Minded Sentencing Plan. OCJR will push for a sentencing matrix that shortens sentencing ranges, eliminates mandatory minimums, only applies percentages of time served on the most serious felonies, and only applies sentence enhancements in the most serious cases. Eliminate Enhancements on Non-Violent Crimes. Simultaneously, we will continue to push for Senate Bill 704, which […]
By: Ashley Bender Oklahoma has a complex history surrounding the death penalty and regardless of public outcries and botched executions, the state continues to move forward with setting dates to put prisoners to death. The beginning of Oklahoma and the Death Penalty Present day Oklahoma was once a part of the Louisiana Purchase, meaning that in 1804 when Congress made […]
The “American Dream” is a belief that anyone, regardless of race, gender, or religious beliefs can achieve the highest form of success and freedom while living in America but only through hard work and determination. While this belief has also been the goal of people that move to America from other countries/nations, for many Americans this belief is a fallacy that has been told throughout the years and in reality, gives a sense of false hope.
The Oklahoma Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives hit one of their big deadlines on March 11th, 2021. That deadline requires that all bills that will advance to become law be passed off the floor in their house of origin before that date. This ensures enough time for the bill to pass through the opposite house and go to […]
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.
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.
These bills define medical frailty and medical vulnerability for medical parole consideration to expand compassionate release and safely reduce the prison population.
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.
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.
AG’s Criminal Justice Council Releases Sentencing Plan for Oklahoma
Oklahoma has a chance at substantive sentencing reform for the first time in its statehood and the people tasked with guiding that reform have released a draft proposal for what it might look like.