An Oklahoma County advisory council recommended that county officials create a separate body to supervise the Oklahoma County Jail.

A county sheriff resigned to protest a judge’s order to bring prisoners back to a jail she says is underfunded and dangerous. Low funding is a problem county sheriffs across the state have to overcome.

A state legislator believes lawmakers should invest more money in programs designed to treat underlying problems and steer people away from prison.

With a huge freshman class and a promise for less gridlock, Oklahoma lawmakers filed more than 2,800 bills this legislative session. With a third of the session now over, the StateImpact team has an update on some bills we’re following.

A bill in the state Legislature would make a controversial state question retroactive. As a result around hundreds of people could receive shorter prison sentences. But state prosecutors warn of unintended consequences.

A state agency is preparing to launch a website next month to keep tabs on forensic evidence collected after a sexual assault. A Democratic lawmaker has also proposed legislation regulating how the system should be used.

State Question 780 reclassified drug possession and other felonies often associated with addiction as misdemeanors.

Drug court participation dropped after passage of a controversial state question in 2016. District attorneys and some court officials disagree whether the new law is to blame for the decrease.

Attorneys for the city met this week to discuss the Firstep men’s and women’s recovery program in response to a joint investigation by StateImpact Oklahoma and The Frontier.

Here’s a roundup of some of the biggest policy issues on deck for the upcoming year and legislative session.