Articles
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Criminal Justice
SQ 805 analysis shows cost savings
Our analysis shows SQ 805 should reduce Oklahoma’s prison population by 8.5% over the next 10 years.Trent England | June 17, 2020
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Criminal Justice, Law & Principles
U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in Oklahoma ‘reservation’ case
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in a case that will determine if much of eastern Oklahoma becomes classified as a collection of Indian reservations, scrambling legal and regulatory authority over hundreds of thousands of citizens.Ray Carter | May 11, 2020
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Criminal Justice, Law & Principles
Crime may be unaffected by COVID-19, while lawsuits proliferate
The statewide COVID-19 shutdown may have dramatically impacted most Oklahomans, but it may not have deterred serious crimes, law enforcement officials told lawmakers Thursday. At the same time, the state could soon face a rash of lawsuits challenging the legality of government actions that forced business closures and the loss of citizens’ jobs.Ray Carter | April 17, 2020
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Criminal Justice
Parole overhaul, diversion funding sought to address SQ 780 shortcomings
Supporters and critics alike are calling for reforms and/or new funding to address the perceived shortcomings of State Question 780, a voter-approved initiative that reduced penalties for theft and drug use in Oklahoma, with one lawmaker even advocating “radical” change.Ray Carter | November 8, 2019
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Criminal Justice
Hundreds released from Oklahoma prisons due to corrections reform
Due to the passage of a ballot initiative and associated legislation that reduced the penalties for some property and drug crimes, hundreds of Oklahoma inmates were released on Monday following the largest single-day commutation of sentences in U.S. history.Ray Carter | November 5, 2019
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Criminal Justice
Change in felony threshold tied to increased crime
In 2016, Oklahoma voters approved State Question 780, which raised the felony threshold for property crime to $1,000 per occurrence. Retailers, law enforcement officials, and private citizens recently told members of a Senate committee that the result of the state question has been an increase in crime.Ray Carter | October 28, 2019
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Criminal Justice
Oklahoma fees may be excessive, unconstitutional
Oklahoma’s use of court fines and fees may be excessive and potentially unconstitutional, according to experts who spoke at a recent Senate meeting. But law enforcement officials stressed that repeal of those fees will require an offsetting increase in state appropriations.Ray Carter | October 23, 2019
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Criminal Justice
Risk assessment urged for bail process
Under existing Oklahoma law, people arrested for crimes can post bail and be released even if they pose a threat to others, while other individuals posing no threat remain behind bars awaiting a hearing because of poverty, officials told lawmakers at a legislative study.Ray Carter | October 22, 2019
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Budget & Tax, Criminal Justice
Lawmakers told criminal justice reform requires increased spending
While many criminal justice reforms have been sold as a way to lower crime rates and taxpayer costs, lawmakers were told the reform process currently requires additional spending on treatment programs even as its unintended consequences are reducing the incentive for offenders to seek drug treatment and fueling a rise in homelessness.Ray Carter | October 14, 2019
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Criminal Justice
A look back at criminal justice reform in Oklahoma
Although Oklahoma has enacted a significant amount of notable legislation aimed at improving Oklahoma’s criminal justice system, more reforms are necessary to continue to reduce the state’s incarceration rate.Kaitlyn Finley | September 27, 2019