Authors

This was a great year in Oklahoma for criminal justice reforms. Not since the passage of Justice Reinvestment legislation in 2012 have we seen such significant measures make it through the legislative process.

Most Oklahomans are aware of the problems facing our prison system. It’s growing every year because we’re consistently bringing in more people than we are releasing, with receptions in 2014 totaling 10,720 and releases totaling 8,958. Our prison facilities are overcrowded. They are currently at 104.2 percent operational capacity, which includes all the common areas that have been outfitted with additional beds. Our facilities are staffed at less than 67 percent, which, according to a 2013 survey, earned Oklahoma the distinction of having the worst staff-to-inmate ratio in the country. An Associated Press investigation revealed that Oklahoma led the nation with 39 prison inmate homicides during the period from 2001 to 2012, a rate that was more than triple the national average.

Being tough on crime means being willing to ask whether or not we are doing it right—and changing course if the facts suggest that a change is necessary. Many states have demonstrated that specific, targeted reforms in sentencing, alternative programming, and reentry are the keys to success.