OKPOLICY.ORG
An overview of our work on Oklahoma’s Justice System
Oklahoma’s criminal justice system is in a crisis. Prisons have grown increasingly costly and overcrowded without any clear pay-off in public safety. OK Policy promotes a smart-on-crime mentality towards criminal justice — one that doesn’t pursue punishment for its own sake, but instead looks for what works to protect public safety in the most cost-effective way.
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Areas of Focus
Bail & Pretrial ReleaseCriminal Justice ReformFines & FeesPrisons & JailsRacial DisparitiesReintegration
Justice System Facts
Featured Articles and Reports
Politics and budget constraints stalled needed criminal justice reforms
The 2026 Oklahoma legislative session saw disappointingly few needed criminal justice reforms become law. Over the past few years, the legislature and the governor have built momentum for positive criminal justice reforms, but those efforts fell flat this year. Between self-imposed budget constraints, interchamber feuds, and the looming pressures of election season, there was relatively More...
Want to improve reentry outcomes? Raise the minimum wage.
In 2016, voters approved State Questions 780 and 781, putting policies in place that have reduced our prison population and directed millions into much-needed community services. Nearly a decade later, Oklahoma voters on June 16 will have the opportunity to approve another measure that will further improve outcomes for justice-involved people: raising the minimum wage More...
Oklahoma shouldn’t allow private prisons to reopen as immigration detention centers. Here are 6 reasons why.
This article was co-authored by Gabriela Ramirez-Perez, Immigration Policy Analyst and Polina Rozhkova, Data Analyst. In the current administration, more and more immigrants are being funneled to detention centers or being held in other forms of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Oklahoma and More...
Eliminate justice-related fees and invest in Oklahoma’s justice system
If Oklahoma's lawmakers are serious about improving public safety, they should focus their efforts on eliminating justice-related fees and fines. Doing so would help justice-involved Oklahomans and improve public safety, provide stable funding for essential public safety services, and would be a cost-effective investment for our justice system. More...
Better Tomorrows: A Landscape Analysis of Oklahoma’s Youth Justice System and Suggested Reforms
Better Tomorrows: A Landscape Analysis of Oklahoma’s Youth Justice System and Suggested Reforms reviews the historical context for Oklahoma’s youth justice system, examines contemporary processes and actors within the system, and recommends a series of reforms that can help achieve better outcomes for justice-involved children and their families. More...
Justice System Experts
