SQ 805: Oklahoma voters asked to reduce prison sentences for 'nonviolent' offenders
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Criminal justice reform is on the ballot this November for Oklahoma voters in State Question 805.
If passed, it would reduce the amount of time some prisoners spend behind bars byrestricting judges from using past crimes to extend sentences.
"The reality is Oklahoma is experiencing and incarceration crisis is prisons are overcrowded," saysOklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform Executive Director, Kris Steele, "There’s just no evidence that would show that these excessive sentences for non-violent offenders are making us any safer."
Former Governor,Frank Keating says, "State Question 805 is wretched public policy."
Keating who was also a former State Prosecutor, United States Attorney explains he’s not against reform, but Oklahoma law doesn’t classify many domestic violence crimes to be violent, "For example domestic violence with strangulation, domestic violence with a deadly weapon, with a dangerous weapon," says Keating.
He believes question 805 would play out as a stay-out-of-jail free card, protecting criminals while punishing victims.
"You’re going to have a run on crime if this happens," says Keating, "People will be very very insecure if there’s no way to keep chronic offenders in prison."
Steele says, "In order to scare people from voting on responsible reform opponents use fear."
According to Steele once fully implemented, question 205 would reduce prison populations by about 8% saving the State nearly $200 million.
"That’s 200 million dollars that could be reinvested in education, in treatment services, in mental healthcare, for survivors, and in issues and areas that actually improve the quality of like for every person in the State of Oklahoma," says Steele.
"Yeah, it will save taxpayers money if a man burglarizes my house tonight and doesn’t go to prison, yeah that saves money, but at what expense?"