Author: David Gateley

David Gateley // dgateley@okpolicy.org

David Gateley joined Oklahoma Policy Institute in August 2021 as the Criminal Justice Policy Analyst. Raised in Oklahoma, David received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma. After graduation, he earned his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he wrote on topics such as the abolition of cash bail and the effectiveness of restorative justice. David is a member of the Oklahoma State Bar. He is dedicated to reforming the criminal legal system away from mass incarceration. He lives in Oklahoma City.

Recent Articles

Oklahoma’s parole process has helped safely lower the number of people in prison. Continued investments could build on this progress.

By: David Gateley
November 7, 2022 // Updated: November 6, 2022
Oklahoma’s parole process — which allows conditional early release from prison — has played a key role in lowering the number of Oklahomans behind bars. The use of parole has reunited families, protected public safety, and saved the state hundreds… Read more [More...]

Medicaid expansion is a vital piece of reentry for Oklahomans leaving incarceration

By: David Gateley
August 9, 2022 // Updated: August 8, 2022
Oklahoma prisons are constitutionally required to provide medical services to the more than 21,000 people in their custody. As those individuals are released back to their communities, they are at risk of losing health care coverage unless insurance is available,… Read more [More...]

The legislature made important steps forward on criminal justice this session. More remains to be done.

By: David Gateley
June 9, 2022 // Updated: June 8, 2022
There remains much work ahead as Oklahoma still incarcerates more people than almost anywhere in the world. As such, lawmakers missed opportunities to help curb the state’s ongoing incarceration crisis or make much-needed investments in county-level mental health and substance abuse services.  [More...]

The 2022 session brings rare opportunity for significant progress in our criminal justice system

By: David Gateley
February 16, 2022 // Updated: March 14, 2022
Even after progress, Oklahoma still ranks third in overall incarceration, with more than 21,000 people in state custody and another 26,000 under some form of supervision. [More...]