Topic: Justice System

The Cost Trap: How Excessive Fees Lock Oklahomans Into the Criminal Justice System without Boosting State Revenue: Part II

By: Gene Perry
January 31, 2017 // Updated: May 2, 2019
[Download the full report as a pdf.] Part II. Court debt punishes the poor, and most goes uncollected The costs for even a single incident in the criminal justice system are simply out of reach for many Oklahomans. About 80… Read more [More...]

The Cost Trap: How Excessive Fees Lock Oklahomans Into the Criminal Justice System without Boosting State Revenue: Part I

By: Gene Perry
// Updated: May 2, 2019
[Download the full report as a pdf.] Part I. Fees have grown for every type of crime As a result of their involvement in the criminal justice system, criminal defendants are charged a litany of fines and fees by the… Read more [More...]

The Cost Trap: How Excessive Fees Lock Oklahomans Into the Criminal Justice System without Boosting State Revenue: Introduction

By: Gene Perry
// Updated: May 2, 2019
[Download the full report as a pdf.] Introduction This report examines how criminal justice fines and fees trap Oklahomans in poverty while providing ever-smaller financial benefits to the state. Lawmakers must recognize that our approach to criminal justice debt is… Read more [More...]

The Cost Trap – Appendices

By: Ryan Gentzler
// Updated: May 2, 2019
Appendix I. Court Collection Totals Appendix II. District Court Collection Data… Read more [More...]

The Cost Trap: How Excessive Fees Lock Oklahomans Into the Criminal Justice System without Boosting State Revenue: Executive Summary

By: Ryan Gentzler
// Updated: May 2, 2019
Tens of thousands of Oklahomans enter the justice system each year and come out with thousands of dollars in legal financial obligations. For poor Oklahomans, this debt can amount to most of their family’s income, and it often leads to a cycle of incarceration and poverty. Read more... [More...]

Oklahoma’s prisons are still on a path to disaster

By: Ryan Gentzler
January 5, 2017 // Updated: June 17, 2019
Even with positive and important criminal justice reforms passing in the Legislature and in the ballot box this year, the Oklahoma prison population is on track to grow by 25 percent – about 7,200 inmates – in the next ten… Read more [More...]

Sonya’s story as a child of incarcerated parents

By: Chelsea Fiedler
December 12, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Sonya (her name has been changed due to the sensitive nature of her story) grew up as a child of incarcerated parents and went on to be Valedictorian of her high school class, student council president, and drum major of the… Read more [More...]

My story as a daughter of Oklahoma corrections officers

By: Chelsea Fiedler
December 6, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Chelsea Fiedler is a senior at Rogers State University, majoring in Political Science. Before interning at OK Policy, Chelsea was a Mission Impact Intern at YWCA Tulsa and served as Student Government Association President at Rogers State University. Chelsea plans… Read more [More...]

The success of SQ 780 points Oklahoma to a better response to drug addiction (Capitol Updates)

By: Steve Lewis
November 18, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Steve Lewis served as Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1989-1991. He currently practices law in Tulsa and represents clients at the Capitol. Of the four state questions that passed last Tuesday, the one that will yield the… Read more [More...]

Enmienda Estatal 780 y 781: Reforma de la Justicia Penal

By: Gene Perry
October 26, 2016 // Updated: May 2, 2019
Descargue esta hoja informativa en formato PDF. El punto importante La enmienda estatal 780 cambia la clasificación de los delitos de posesión simple de drogas de delito grave a delito menor. También eleva el monto en dólares al determinar si… Read more [More...]