With Oklahoma jails and prisons overcrowded at crisis rates, with the state having one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation, with numerous federal lawsuits against the Oklahoma County Jail and the Tulsa County Jail, and with national policy institutes criticizing Oklahoma for "overcriminalizing" its citizens, there is no question that criminal justice reform needs to be a priority for state lawmakers. We are putting too many people behind bars, and we are not funding the resources that would help keep nonviolent offenders out of jail and treat the root cause of the behavior--often drug addiction or mental illness.

But perhaps things will start looking up for criminal justice in Oklahoma. Last week, the House passed three criminal justice reform bills that would reduce penalties for certain crimes, provide resources for defendants with mental illness or substance abuse issues, and allow earlier parole for those convicted of non-violent crimes. 

House Bill 2281 amends laws pertaining to forgery, larceny, and other property crimes in order to introduce or modify a graduated penalty scale based on the value of the property involved. For example, existing law says that issuing bogus checks totaling $1,000 or more by a maximum of 10 years in prison. If passed by the Senate and signed into law, the bill would increase the threshold to $2,000 and make that act punishable by a maximum of 2 years in prison, with the length of term extending in proportion with higher values of theft.

House Bill 2284 would provide increased training for public defenders in representing defendants with substance abuse and/or mental health issued. It would also provide training for judges and prosecutors in dealing with victims of domestic violence or other trauma. One problem with this bill is that training is contingent on "available funding," and we know how little funding is available for anything in light of Oklahoma's ongoing budget failures.

Finally, House Bill 2286 would allow for earlier parole of people convicted of nonviolent crimes. Currently, nonviolent inmates may apply for parole after completing one-third of their sentences. Under the new law, they would only have to complete one-fourth of the sentence before applying for parole. The bill would also require better mental health and substance abuse treatment standards and additional training for Pardon and Parole Board members.

While these measures have all passed the House, they must now go to the Senate for consideration. The Senate recently passed eight criminal justice reform bills, which will move to the House for consideration. It could be a good year for justice reform in Oklahoma.