Category: Featured Race & Equity

Tulsa Race Massacre: After the national spotlight fades ….

The national spotlight will shine on our state in the coming days as we gather to commemorate the centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre and its aftermath.  Soon, however, this attention will fade and many long-standing issues will remain for… Read more [More...]

Reducing Oklahoma’s court fines and fees is police reform

While much of this conversation has been focused on municipal budgets and inadequate funding for mental health and social services, it’s also critical that lawmakers consider how the system of court fines and fees contributes to racial disparities in both policing and incarceration. [More...]

Millions of dollars in court debt hang over residents of Oklahoma’s poorest neighborhoods

Earlier this year, we released a report detailing the growth of fees attached to criminal court cases in Oklahoma. We found that as legislators attempt to prop up falling state revenues, fees have risen for every type of crime. When… Read more [More...]

Lawmakers must confront racial disparities head-on as they reform the justice system

The need for criminal justice reform is well illustrated by outrageous top-level statistics showing Oklahoma’s imprisonment rate among the highest in the nation (about 700 in prison per 100,000 residents), and a need to bring down spending on corrections (nearly half… Read more [More...]

OK PolicyCast Episode 15: Oklahoma’s Racial Wealth Gap

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or RSS. The podcast theme music is by Zébre. Each week, the OK PolicyCast brings you the most important news about Oklahoma and what it means. In this episode, we talk… Read more [More...]