The Senate Appropriations Committee passed through four pieces of criminal justice reform legislation on Wednesday. Governor Fallin asked for the measures during her State of the State speech in February. The changes were recommended by the Oklahoma Justice Reform Committee.
Serving as the principal Senate author for three of the bills, Senator Greg Treat said the “smart on crime” measures would still hold nonviolent offenders responsible while saving the state money.
“We’re first in the nation in the incarceration of women and one of the top states for the incarceration of men—but prison is an expensive route for nonviolent offenders, who can easily become hardened criminals after serving time with inmates in prison for violent crimes,” Treat said. “These reforms offer nonviolent offenders the chance to rehabilitate and return to a productive life in the community while saving millions of dollars that can be used to better educate children and provide mental health care—things that will also help reduce crime. I appreciate Governor Fallin’s leadership in proposing these reforms that have had bipartisan support throughout the process. They’re supported by the District Attorneys Association, the Tulsa and Oklahoma City Chambers of Commerce, and many other organizations representing a wide range of views. They all agree these are smart on crime initiatives that will move our state forward while still keeping the public safe.”
The bills authored by Treat are HB 2472, which gives prosecutors discretion to file charges as a misdemeanor instead of a felony, HB 2479, which reduces the mandatory punishment of subsequent drug offenses, and HB 2751, which raises the threshold for property crimes to be charged as a felony to $1,000.
HB 2753 establishes a way to broaden drug courts. Senator Wayne Shaw is the Senate author.
“Drug Courts work. These individuals get the treatment they need to turn their lives around. They get their GED’s, they find work, they become more involved parents, and they have a lower recidivism rate,” Shaw said. “In addition, there’s a huge cost savings. Drug Court costs about $5,000 per year per person, compared to about $20,000 a year if we send that same individual to prison instead.”
The House author of all four bills is Rep. Pam Peterson who praised the Senate committee for moving them to the Senate floor.
“I am pleased that the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved these smart-on-crime, evidence-based measures that we carefully crafted with input from everyone who touches the criminal justice system,” Peterson said. “I hope this legislation will soon be on the governor’s desk for her consideration.
Of course, Fallin was encouraged by the move.
“Our state prisons are filled to well over capacity so it is crucial that we make some changes to our criminal justice system,” said Fallin. “These measures do not jeopardize public safety while addressing Oklahoma’s prison population, which is among the highest in the nation. I appreciate the support of the Senate Appropriations Committee in approving these vital measures.”
