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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2017
Governor Mary Fallin Signs Criminal Justice Reform Bill; Disappointed More Wasn’t Done This Session
OKLAHOMA CITY
– Governor Mary Fallin today signed the remaining criminal justice reform bill
that was the result of recommendations from her Oklahoma Justice Reform Task
Force, saying it was disappointing other proposed measures that would have had more
of a direct impact on Oklahoma’s over-capacity prison population stalled in the
House of Representatives.
Those measures
addressed the governor's criminal justice reform task force report that
said without reform, Oklahoma is on pace to add 7,218 inmates over the next 10
years, That would require three new prisons and cost the state an additional
$1.9 billion in capital expenditures and operating costs.
“One of the
bills, which was held up this session, was House Bill 2281. It included
important sentencing changes to low-level property crimes, and would have had a
particularly important impact on our female prison population,” said Fallin.
“Without jeopardizing public safety, with these bills, we could have
implemented smart, data-driven solutions to safely and prudently fix our
criminal justice system.”
To continue her earlier criminal justice
reform efforts and to address the high number of nonviolent offenders in
Oklahoma’s prisons, Fallin last year established the task force, which
developed data-driven policy recommendations to improve public safety, control
corrections spending and improve recidivism rates for consideration during this
year’s legislative session, which adjourned May 26.
The task force recommended 12 bills.
Three received legislative approval.
“Violent
offenders, sex offenders, and offenders convicted of 85 percent crimes are
excluded from any sentencing reforms,” Fallin said. “These reforms are targeted
at nonviolent offenders, many of whom suffer from addiction and mental health
issues. We simply have to start focusing on treatment and reintegrating these
offenders, which research has shown will result in lower crime rates and lower
rates of recidivism.”
Fallin today signed Senate Bill (SB) 603, which requires all
offenders receive a validated risk and needs assessment that will guide
providers to programs available to offenders, and mandates the Department of
Corrections to create an individualized case plan for each offender.
The governor
earlier signed SB 604 and House Bill (HB) 2284. SB 604 provides training for law enforcement relating to domestic
violence victim safety at the pretrial stage. HB 2284 provides training for
public defenders, district attorneys and judges; training is to include
substance abuse, behavioral health, and impact and dynamics of domestic
violence.
“Our prisons
are way over capacity, and our prison population is expected to grow by 25
percent in the next 10 years,” said Fallin. “Oklahoma’s overall incarceration
rate is the second-highest in the country, and we lead the nation in female
incarceration – incarcerating women at two-and-a-half times the national
average. By 2018, we will have the highest incarceration rate in the country.
“Some have said we are doing this too
fast, that it took Texas six years to accomplish what we are trying to do in
two,” the governor said. “Let’s not forget, we are facing a dire financial
situation to the tune of an additional $2 billion to incarcerate even more
Oklahomans. While disappointed with the lack of progress this session, I remain
committed to criminal justice reform and will continue the push to make
Oklahoma smarter on how we confront crime. Creating an epidemic
of broken families by incarcerating mothers and fathers who are convicted of
nonviolent crimes and struggling with addiction is unacceptable, and is not
keeping with Oklahoma values.”
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