Jill Mencke joined OK Policy as the Youth Policy Analyst in September 2022. Jill earned her B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the University of Oklahoma. After graduation, she worked as a family preservation specialist, providing intervention services to families experiencing issues in the home. She saw the impact intervention programs and support services can have, and is dedicated to creating more avenues for prevention and support for Oklahoma families and their youth. Jill researches and monitors the status of youth incarceration in Oklahoma, and advocates for policy with the Justice for Oklahoma Youth (JOY) Coalition, which supports investments for youth that protect them from entering the justice system, and works to center lived experience in reform. In her free time, Jill enjoys attending local concerts, hosting movie nights. and teaching her cats to be nice to each other.
By: Jill Mencke
June 21, 2026 // Updated: June 21, 2026
Oklahoma children face a host of challenges that stem from the conditions and policies shaping life in our state – nearly 1 in 4 Oklahoma children experience food insecurity, children of color are overrepresented in the youth justice system, and… Read more [More...]
By: Jill Mencke
April 15, 2026 // Updated: April 20, 2026
Correction, 4/20/2026: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the status of HB 1979, which unanimously passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on April 20, 2026.
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At the midpoint of Oklahoma’s current legislative session,… Read more [More...]
By: Jill Mencke
March 25, 2026 // Updated: March 25, 2026
Oklahoma’s youth justice system is tasked with ensuring youth who cause harm face fair consequences, but is also responsible for protecting children and promoting long-term public safety. One of the most effective ways to do both is by setting a… Read more [More...]
By: Jill Mencke
December 14, 2025 // Updated: December 15, 2025
• SQ 832: Information and Resources
• What you need to know about the minimum wage in Oklahoma
When people talk about raising the minimum wage, the focus is usually on adults trying to support households. But higher wages don’t… Read more [More...]
By: Jill Mencke
October 28, 2025 // Updated: October 28, 2025
Reimagining Youth Justice in Oklahoma provides an overview of Oklahoma’s youth justice system by detailing the environment that youth in Oklahoma face, synthesizing data and reporting findings on the state of the youth justice system today, and offering recommendations for… Read more [More...]
By: Jill Mencke
June 22, 2025 // Updated: June 23, 2025
Oklahoma lawmakers passed new legislation this year to help protect and support children, especially those in foster care, the legal system, and with special needs. While these changes aim to keep kids safe, support families, and improve access to state… Read more [More...]
By: Jill Mencke
April 16, 2025 // Updated: April 16, 2025
Oklahoma has an obligation to care for vulnerable youth in our legal and foster systems. This session, Oklahoma legislators have the chance to build upon recent progress to make benefits more accessible and enshrine protections for vulnerable youth in the… Read more [More...]
By: Jill Mencke
October 21, 2024 // Updated: December 16, 2024
A new OK Policy report examines Oklahoma's youth justice system and suggests reforms to create impactful and transformative change for youth. [More...]
By: Jill Mencke
August 27, 2024 // Updated: December 4, 2024
OK Policy’s Youth Justice Policy Analyst Jill Mencke spoke with lawmakers on August 27, 2024, about the state’s youth justice system. Mencke explores the challenges, disparities, and opportunities within the system, advocating for effective reforms to empower youth and families… Read more [More...]
By: Jill Mencke
June 13, 2024 // Updated: June 17, 2024
Oklahoma is not known for being a safe and hospitable place for children. Oklahoma, for the second year in a row, ranks 46th nationally in overall child well-being. Lawmakers sought to address this problem in the 2024 session by passing budget increases to vital services like the child welfare and youth justice systems. However, Oklahoma’s structural budget deficit has meant that state agencies and service providers in the child welfare systems have continually been forced to do more with less year after year. [More...]
OKPOLICY.ORG
Oklahoma children face a host of challenges that stem from the conditions and policies shaping life in our state – nearly 1 in 4 Oklahoma children experience food insecurity, children of color are overrepresented in the youth justice system, and… Read more [More...]
Correction, 4/20/2026: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the status of HB 1979, which unanimously passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on April 20, 2026.
– – –
At the midpoint of Oklahoma’s current legislative session,… Read more [More...]
Oklahoma’s youth justice system is tasked with ensuring youth who cause harm face fair consequences, but is also responsible for protecting children and promoting long-term public safety. One of the most effective ways to do both is by setting a… Read more [More...]
• SQ 832: Information and Resources
• What you need to know about the minimum wage in Oklahoma
When people talk about raising the minimum wage, the focus is usually on adults trying to support households. But higher wages don’t… Read more [More...]
Reimagining Youth Justice in Oklahoma provides an overview of Oklahoma’s youth justice system by detailing the environment that youth in Oklahoma face, synthesizing data and reporting findings on the state of the youth justice system today, and offering recommendations for… Read more [More...]
Oklahoma lawmakers passed new legislation this year to help protect and support children, especially those in foster care, the legal system, and with special needs. While these changes aim to keep kids safe, support families, and improve access to state… Read more [More...]
Oklahoma has an obligation to care for vulnerable youth in our legal and foster systems. This session, Oklahoma legislators have the chance to build upon recent progress to make benefits more accessible and enshrine protections for vulnerable youth in the… Read more [More...]
A new OK Policy report examines Oklahoma's youth justice system and suggests reforms to create impactful and transformative change for youth. [More...]
Oklahoma is not known for being a safe and hospitable place for children. Oklahoma, for the second year in a row, ranks 46th nationally in overall child well-being. Lawmakers sought to address this problem in the 2024 session by passing budget increases to vital services like the child welfare and youth justice systems. However, Oklahoma’s structural budget deficit has meant that state agencies and service providers in the child welfare systems have continually been forced to do more with less year after year. [More...]
