By:
Cole Allen
May 15, 2026 // Updated: May 15, 2026
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…
Read more [More...]
Content note: This article discusses violence against Indigenous women, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and homicide. No details of this violence are included. While the Oklahoma Policy Institute exists to share facts and information, we acknowledge that these are the…
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.
– – –
At the midpoint of Oklahoma’s current legislative session,…
Read more [More...]
By:
Cole Allen
April 9, 2026 // Updated: April 9, 2026
Oklahomans are eager for bold justice reforms that guarantee fairness and safety for everyone; they don’t want to regress back towards a system that unfairly punishes poverty and prioritizes incarceration over all else. Lawmakers still have the second half of…
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
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...]
Shuttered private prisons in Oklahoma are being considered to re-open as immigration detention centers. The primary purpose for companies that operate these private prisons is maximizing shareholder value, not making our communities safe.
[More...]
A new report shows how Oklahoma voters’ decision to prioritize rehabilitation over incarceration has resulted in a dramatic drop in crime, a 47 percent reduction in prison sentences, and the largest local mental health and substance abuse investment in state…
Read more [More...]
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…
Read more [More...]
Oklahoma City's new Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) program represents a meaningful step toward the justice reform envisioned by Oklahoma voters nearly a decade ago. But expanding similar services beyond metro areas requires sustained commitment and investment from the state.
[More...]
OKPOLICY.ORG
