2018 Legislative Policy Priorities

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… Read more [More...]

2018 Policy Priority: Pass Smart On Crime Reforms

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,… Read more [More...]

2018 Policy Priority: Reform Practices That Trap Oklahomans In Jail Awaiting Trial

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… Read more [More...]

2018 Policy Priority: Reform Excessive Fines and Fees that Trap People in the Justice System

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… Read more [More...]

Arrests for possession of marijuana spiked in Oklahoma in 2016. What happened?

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… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma’s urban justice systems are set for big changes. But who will fix rural jails?

While Oklahoma’s overcrowded prisons get most of the attention, nearly all of the important decisions on a criminal case have been made long before a person enters prison. Local law enforcement is responsible for arresting people who break the law… Read more [More...]

New report examines reforms to rebuild trust between law enforcement and communities in Oklahoma

Today, OK Policy released a report, “Strategies for Building Trust Between Law Enforcement and Communities in Oklahoma,” that details the challenges facing Oklahoma law enforcement and proposes a menu of reforms that have shown promise in addressing those challenges in… Read more [More...]

Oklahoma’s sprawling criminal code could make a felon of almost anyone

In the wake of the failure of the criminal justice reform proposals put forth by the Justice Reform Task Force this year, Rep. Scott Biggs, the chairman of the House Judiciary – Criminal Justice and Corrections committee, blamed Governor Mary Fallin… Read more [More...]

Occupational licensing is a growing barrier to Oklahomans who seek a decent job

Let’s say you want to change careers. Or maybe you’re a recent graduate thinking about what you’d like to do as you enter the workforce. Like an increasing number of American workers, you might find that stiff requirements to get… Read more [More...]

How does SQ 788 compare to other states’ medical marijuana laws?

Next year, Oklahomans will vote on State Question 788, a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana. As of 2017, 29 states have approved measures legalizing the drug for medical purposes. We often think of legalization in binary terms — either… Read more [More...]