To relieve prison overcrowding, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections will let certain nonviolent inmates out on a new supervised release program.
The Community Supervision Program will be strictly monitored — at least two probation officer visits a month and six months of GPS monitoring to start. Only nonviolent, minimum security inmates will be eligible.
"There are no violent offenders, no sex offenders, no child abusers, no domestic infractions — none of those people are going to qualify for this program," said DOC Director Joe Allbaugh.
DOC staff will start selecting inmates for the supervision program on Oct. 1. More than 63,000 inmates are currently in state facilities, putting them at 109 percent capacity. With no fix to the overcrowding in sight, Allbaugh said something needed to be done.
"There are two choices: We can either do this, or give me more money to build prisons," Allbaugh said.
On the high end, around 1,500 inmates could be eligible for the program, though the DOC estimates only half would be admitted.
Allbaugh said besides helping with overcrowded prisons, the program is a chance to help inmates reengage early at a time when the state is failing to help inmates re-enter society.
"Society has to decide whether we just want to continue to lock 'em up, throw away the key or help our neighbors," Allbaugh said. "Because those individuals will end up living next to you or me or somebody we know and care about, and we want them all to become productive citizens."
About 95 percent of inmates re-enter society at some point.
Allbaugh said DOC has authority under state law to institute the program without approval from lawmakers or the Board of Corrections.
