Senate approves nonviolent offender sentencing reform measure

As part of ongoing criminal justice reform, the Senate approved legislation Thursday to reduce incarceration rates of repeat nonviolent offenders. House Bill 2009, authored by Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, and Rep. Garry Mize, R-Guthrie, will reduce the sentences of repeat nonviolent offenders with no history of violent or sexual offenses.

“Right now in Oklahoma, offenders serve 70 percent longer for property crimes and 79 percent longer for drug crimes than the national average. Excessive sentencing for repeat nonviolent offenders has caused Oklahoma to have the highest incarceration rates in the nation, which is extremely expensive for taxpayers and does nothing to help these individuals re-enter society as self-sufficient, productive citizens,” Coleman said. “Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana…they’ve all reduced crime and incarceration rates at the same time. I think it’s time for Oklahoma to do the same. Let’s get our growing prison population under control and make Oklahoma more in line with the rest of the country on sentencing for nonviolent offenders.”

Currently, a second or subsequent offense of nonviolent crime carries as much as twice the original crime sentence. Under HB 2009, subsequent offenses will get no more than the maximum sentence plus an additional quarter of the maximum. For example, a 10-year sentence can currently become a 20-year sentence on repeat offenses. Under HB 2009, a ten-year sentence could only increase to a 12.5-year sentence for nonviolent second and subsequent offenses.

“I am happy to author House Bill 2009. Oklahomans are asking for strides to be made in regards to Criminal Justice Reform,” Mize said. “This priority bill takes a step in the right direction to help get our prison population under control and move us out of the #1 spot in a category we don’t want to lead.”

It is estimated that HB 2009 could reduce Oklahoma’s prison population by as much as 17 percent over ten years providing cost savings to the Department of Corrections (DOC) depending on how many individuals receive the reduced sentence. According to DOC, it costs an average of $58.70/day or $21,425.50/year to incarcerate an inmate.

HB 2009 now returns to the House for final consideration.