Issue Brief: Barriers to Affordable Housing for Oklahomans with Felony Convictions

Finding affordable housing is one of the most difficult barriers faced by Oklahomans with a felony conviction in their past. Yet Oklahoma's major public housing assistance programs frequently exclude people with felony records, and even those who have been arrested without being charged, from getting help. [More...]

Where are they now? Bills we followed this session (Part 1)

This year’s Legislative session began with promising ideas for reforms in the areas of criminal justice, elections, and tax credits, as well as a continuation of the debate over modifying past years’ education reforms. Before long, it became clear that… Read more [More...]

Positive steps for criminal justice reform (Capitol Updates)

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. You can sign up on his website to receive the Capitol Updates newsletter by email.… Read more [More...]

Watch This: ‘Locked Out’

Locked Out from Human Pictures on Vimeo. In 5 minutes, ‘Locked Out’ by Human Pictures Film dramatically illustrates the barriers for ex-felons trying to rebuild their lives and do the right thing. Excluding Americans with a felony record from affordable housing, student loans,… Read more [More...]

Where states are taking real action against mass incarceration

With the deadline recently passing for bills to make it out of their initial committees, we can take a look at which criminal justice reform proposals are still alive. While no proposals have emerged to undertake comprehensive sentencing reform, each… Read more [More...]

What Fallin’s goals for state government tell us about Oklahoma

During her 2015 State of the State Address, Governor Fallin announced a new state website that would identify measurable objectives for state government and track how Oklahoma is doing at reaching these objectives over time. The website looks at 160… Read more [More...]

Pass common sense sentencing reforms now (Guest post: Sean Wallace)

Sean Wallace is the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Corrections Professionals, an association representing employees of the Department of Corrections. During her 2015 inaugural address, Governor Mary Fallin told the crowd assembled on the Capitol steps that one of the… Read more [More...]

Priorities for Oklahoma lawmakers in 2015

Oklahoma’s 2015 Legislative session kicks off today with a State of the State address from Governor Mary Fallin. OK Policy and the Together Oklahoma coalition have identified six priorities for the coming session that are practical, politically achievable steps to… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma ‘one lawsuit away’ from a federal takeover (Steve Lewis Capitol Updates)

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. You can sign up on his website to receive the Capitol Updates newsletter by email.… Read more [More...]

Every sentence is a life sentence: 3 barriers to life after prison

Criminal justice reform is in the air for the upcoming legislative session. For more than a decade, experts and advocates have warned of a mounting incarceration crisis that has created huge costs for taxpayers while, perversely, possibly increasing crime. For… Read more [More...]