The Oklahoma legislature is advancing a slate of criminal justice reforms it did not take up last year.
The seven bills tackle recommendations to reduce Oklahoma's incarceration rate, like tying tiered property crime punishments to dollar values and distinguishing sentencing enhancements between violent and nonviolent criminal histories.
One of the measures, House Bill 2286, will address the fact that only about one in 10 Oklahoma prisoners are paroled.
"This, in order to stimulate the parole system, is a bill that creates an administrative parole system for nonviolent offenders who abide by their case management plans while they are incarcerated, and it also creates a geriatric parole mechanism for older felons that present a very low risk," said Rep. Terry O'Donnell.
There have been two years of work on the reform bills with police, district attorneys and others.
"These are the product of a great deal of negotiation with law enforcement and corrections officers, and everybody is on board with these measures at this point," O'Donnell said.
The bills' focus is on reducing punishment for nonviolent offenders and encouraging treatment over prison when possible. The Department of Corrections expects the measures will reduce the current prison population by nearly 5,000 people.
Justice Action Network Deputy Director Jenna Moll said the reforms aren’t going to stop all of Oklahoma’s projected two-thirds increase in its prison population over the next 10 years.
"But they are going to avert some of it, about half of the projected growth is one of the stats that I’ve heard. I think that’s a good first step," Moll said.
Moll says lawmakers’ next step should be addressing harsh penalties for nonviolent crimes disproportionately committed by women, like forgeries.
