As Oklahoma ranks top three in incarcerations, groups push for criminal justice reform
Oklahoma is ranked as one of the top three states for incarcerations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice's most recent data from 2019. Many state lawmakers are working to change that. In this legislative session, there are more than a hundred bills focusing on criminal justice reform.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — Oklahoma is ranked as one of the top three states for incarcerations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice's most recent data from 2019.
Many state lawmakers are working to change that. In this legislative session, there are more than a hundred bills focusing on criminal justice reform.
Lawmakers are reaching across the aisle, sponsoring bills ranging from sentencing to expungement reforms.
Marilyn Davidson, the State Director for Right on Crime, said her organization is working to change broken policies.
"I don't want to see us get complacent about where we are when it comes to our criminal justice system," Davidson said. "I think that there's still a lot of work to do and that we need to continuously chip away at those issues that are making Oklahoma one of the top states in the country when it comes to our prison population."
The prison population is an issue many groups are trying to tackle.
The Oklahoma Policy Institute reports that more than 20,000 people are currently in state custody.
Oklahoma Democrats are keeping an eye on dozens of reform bills, many of which are bipartisan efforts.
Right on Crime, a conservative group, is also pushing for lowering the number of those behind bars.
"Our hope with that is that we can reduce the prison population in Oklahoma by taking some of those crimes where we might have a sentence structure that doesn't fit the crime and adjusting those to where they could be more appropriate," Davidson said.
The reforms also apply to those who have served their time, allowing those with criminal backgrounds to get a clean slate.
"A lot of people are very hindered when it comes to getting an expungement, because it costs a lot of time and a lot of money," Davidson said. "So we're trying to start a process that computerizes that and makes it where the OSBI automatically starts the process for them and then still gives law enforcement, still gives the courts the opportunity to object if someone doesn't qualify for it. But it basically just opens it up and makes it easier for people."
Organizations are also highlighting re-entry policies. The focus is on making sure there are job trainings and resources to help those who are released prepare themselves for society again.
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