Gov. Mary Fallin, Oklahoma lawmakers and district attorneys have reached an agreement on six criminal justice reform bills.
The measures reduce punishments for many property crimes and subsequent convictions and streamline Oklahoma’s parole process.
"These reforms are targeted toward nonviolent offenders, many who suffer from addiction and mental health issues," Fallin said.
Five of the six bills were introduced last year but stalled in the legislature as district attorneys took issue with some of the provisions, such as firearm theft only being a misdemeanor. Those issues have been resolved and the measures have been rewritten. The sixth bill is still being drafted.
"These measures have wide, bipartisan support. They will have a true and substantial impact on bed count. They will have a true and substantial impact on future expenditures of the state of Oklahoma and hopefully curb the growth rate of the [prison] population," said Senate Majority Floor Leader Greg Treat.
State officials are also establishing a coordinating council to guide future reform efforts.
"What I’m hopeful will occur is a complete rewrite of the criminal code in Oklahoma, because right now, it’s been piecemealed together for several decades," said Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater.
Oklahoma’s aging prisons are currently at more than 100 percent capacity.
