{"id":30000,"date":"2018-05-17T14:54:02","date_gmt":"2018-05-17T19:54:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=30000"},"modified":"2018-05-30T12:05:35","modified_gmt":"2018-05-30T17:05:35","slug":"oklahoma-prisons-overflow-as-inmates-say-no-to-parole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2018\/05\/17\/oklahoma-prisons-overflow-as-inmates-say-no-to-parole\/","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma prisons overflow as inmates say ‘no’ to parole"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/p>\n

Quinton Chandler \/ StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n

Frank McCarrell and his grandson Roman.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Baby Roman is just waking up from his afternoon nap and now he\u2019s looking for a toy. His grandfather, Frank McCarrell, is trying to distract him from the house\u2019s d\u00e9cor with a bottle of milk.<\/p>

\u201cHe don\u2019t usually be asleep this time,\u201d said McCarrell, who just finished his workday to babysit for his daughter. \u201cWhen I come home … usually he\u2019s up and raring to go. Huh? You be running Papa around?<\/p>

<\/p>

This is the highlight of McCarrell\u2019s day. He goes to his job as a machine operator four days a week and then comes directly home to hang out with Roman. But, this routine is relatively new for McCarrell. He\u2019s beginning his third year on parole for a drug conviction.<\/p>

Years ago, McCarrell had finished serving 10 years for armed robbery when he was arrested again while carrying 1.4 grams of crack cocaine. McCarrell says he was using and selling the drug. His new arrest led to a 40-year prison sentence, which he thinks was an unfair punishment for not taking a plea deal.<\/p>

McCarrell served about 12 years of the sentence before he was paroled \u2014 But most Oklahoma prisoners are not like Frank McCarrell.<\/p>\n

Why Inmates Opt-Out<\/h3>

Unlike some surrounding states, Oklahoma\u2019s inmates can decide whether or not they want to be considered for parole. Roughly two out of three parole-eligible inmates choose not to go to their parole hearings, effectively disqualifying them for early release.<\/p>

In late 2016, the state started counting how many inmates opted out. In one year 5,225 of the state\u2019s 7,921 parole-eligible inmates chose not to go to their parole hearings.<\/p>

State officials say this contributes to prison overcrowding and hurts inmates\u2019 chances to avoid new convictions after they are released.<\/p>

When McCarrell was imprisoned, he saw a lot of inmates opt out of their hearings. \u201cI would ask some of them why,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd their reasoning is they don\u2019t want to have to deal with the parole, the parole officers and this and that.\u201d<\/p>

Now, standing outside a probation and parole office in downtown Oklahoma City after a check-in with his parole officer, McCarrell understands why.<\/p>

Most parolees have to agree to certain rules as a condition of their release. McCarrell, for example, has to meet his parole officer every couple of months, undergo random drug tests and he has to block out time for mandatory counseling.<\/p>

McCarrell says it\u2019s not too bad, but he hates checking in. \u201cBecause it\u2019s always something new,\u201d he said.<\/p>

It\u2019s always a hassle, he said. After two years on parole, Officers still question whether he\u2019s staying out of trouble, which wears him down.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Quinton Chandler \/ StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n

DeLynn Fudge, executive director of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Familiar frustrations<\/h3>

Delynn Fudge, the executive director of the state Pardon and Parole Board<\/a>, is familiar with McCarrell\u2019s frustrations. She said many offenders don\u2019t want to deal with parole requirements. But, she said, the rules are important.<\/p>

Some parolees could be required to have a breathalyzer installed in their car or wear an ankle monitor. Fudge says others might be required to get substance abuse treatment. \u201cI think our top one is mental health, personal counseling,\u201d she said.<\/p>

Inmates released without these requirements are more likely to come back to prison,\u201d Fudge said, \u201cbecause there\u2019s no one that is going to … bring them in and say, \u2018Here\u2019s some services that are available to you,\u2019 in their community.\u201d<\/p>

Focus groups with Oklahoma prison inmates<\/a> conducted in 2010\u00a0 by the Council of State Governments confirmed many inmates would rather stay in prison than deal with parole restrictions. The inmates said they could even finish their sentences faster in prison if they get time off for good behavior.<\/p>

Fudge says this is a problem.<\/p>

\u201cWe want them to have the support systems, so that\u2019s No. 1,\u201d Fudge said. \u201cTwo, it\u2019s an overcrowding issue. If they\u2019re waiving parole, then they\u2019re staying in prison.\u201d<\/p>

State officials considered new legislation that would prevent inmates from waiving parole reviews<\/a> this year, but the idea was dismissed. One reason is that such a large increase in parole reviews would likely overwhelm the Pardon and Parole Board.<\/p>\n

\u2018Rather\u2019 Deal With Prison<\/h3>

Frank McCarrell says he\u2019s following the rules. But now, his new parole officer is telling him something he doesn\u2019t want to hear.<\/p>

When McCarrell accepted his parole terms more than two years ago, he agreed to move into a halfway house for a year. But, he said, \u201cthe halfway house was trashed out. It was just filthy and there were no professional people there, you know, counselors or anyone, sober living, nothing.\u201d<\/p>

McCarrell says he didn\u2019t want to live there. He complained and said the Probation and Parole office, at first, compromised and said he didn\u2019t have to move in.<\/p>

Now, McCarrell says he\u2019s been instructed to make good on his original agreement. He says he\u2019d rather go back to prison.<\/p>

\u201cYou know it sounds silly in a way,\u201d McCarrell admits. \u201cBut it\u2019s just a fact. You know, for me that\u2019s a fact. I\u2019d rather do that than deal with that. I just would. I can\u2019t explain it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Roughly two out of three parole-eligible inmates opt-out of parole hearings. State officials say this contributes to prison overcrowding and hurts their outcomes after they are released.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":30001,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[223,768,767],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30000"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/201"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30000"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30125,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30000\/revisions\/30125"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}