Despite voter support for criminal justice reforms, lawmakers only passed one bill that could affect prison population growth frustrating Department of Corrections employees and agency budgets.
StateImpact followed legislators’ actions on education, criminal justice reform, Medicaid expansion and abortion.
Oklahoma City Police shot a 14-year-old boy who was playing with a B.B. gun. Police say the shooting was justified. The boy’s attorney claims his civil rights were violated.
Gov. Stitt lent support to several criminal justice reform initiative currently under consideration in the Legislature as well as some ideas that haven’t advanced.
The Oklahoma Department of Health and the State Fire Marshal inspect local jails every year. But the inspections are only as effective as the rules they’re based on. Just because a jail passes inspection — doesn’t mean it’s completely safe.
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.
