Oklahoma has long been among the most punitive states in the country for drug crimes. For years, severe mandatory minimums and tough-on-crime attitudes contributed to simple drug possession being the most common charge for state prison admissions. In 2016, fed-up…
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This post is the second in a series highlighting key bills in several issues areas that we’re following. A previous post looked at legislation affecting economic opportunity for Oklahoma families.
After a disappointing end to the 2017 session, there are encouraging…
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The problem of debtors’ prisons in Oklahoma has slowly come out into the open in recent years. More and more criminal defendants have been unable to pay off the thousands of dollars in fines and fees piled on them by…
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By:
Steve Lewis
January 26, 2018 // 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.
In preparation for the upcoming session, Corrections Director Joe Allbaugh appeared before the House and Senate appropriations…
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By:
Gene Perry
January 25, 2018 // Updated: May 2, 2019
With the 2018 legislative session fast approaching, today we released OK Policy’s top policy priorities for the coming year.
OK Policy is committed to supporting fair and adequate funding of public services and expanded economic opportunity for all Oklahomans through…
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Download this fact sheet as a PDF.
OK Policy is committed to supporting fair and adequate funding of public services and expanded economic opportunity for all Oklahomans through research and advocacy. During the 2018 legislative session, we will work to…
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See the full list of our 2018 policy priorities.
Download this fact sheet as a PDF.
Background
Oklahoma has the second-highest incarceration rate in the country and the highest incarceration rate for women. Our prisons are badly overcrowded and underfunded,…
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See the full list of our 2018 policy priorities.
Download this fact sheet as a PDF.
Background
Oklahoma’s jails are overflowing with people who haven’t been convicted of any crime but who can’t afford to pay a bail bondsman to…
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See the full list of our 2018 policy priorities.
Download this fact sheet as a PDF.
Background
Tens of thousands of Oklahomans enter the justice system each year, and many come out with thousands of dollars in debt to the…
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In May, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) released official crime statistics for 2016. While most attention on crime rates is rightly devoted to serious crimes, OSBI noted an eye-catching development in a supplemental report: arrests for drug crimes increased…
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