Better laws, less punishment, more freedom – from Cuba to Oklahoma [csmonitor.com]

Porter Jennings-McGarity 10/26/226:00 AM

By Nick Roll, Photo: Sue Ogrocki/AP/File, Christian Science Monitor, October 24, 2022

1. United States

Oklahoma has reduced its prison population by 21% over the last five years. Through a series of legislative reforms and voter initiatives, Oklahoma eliminated prison time for some low-level drug and property offenses, and reduced the length of sentences for other crimes.

A community-led campaign called Project Commutation has helped people with long sentences have them commuted. And a significant number of incarcerated people were released during the pandemic.

In 2016, Oklahoma had the highest incarceration rate in the country. Crime had been falling in the state, but the prison population exploded in large part because of the number of crimes classified as felonies. Republican-led reforms have helped the prison population drop from 28,342 in January 2017 to 22,441 in May 2022.

[Please click here to read more.]

Add Comment

Comments (0)

<ul id="{%=id%}ButtonGroup" class="button-group h-popup-buttons even-button-group even-1">
    <li id="{%=id%}Okay_buttonContainer"><a id="{%=id%}Okay" href="javascript:void(0);" class="button success no-margin-bottom h-alert-modal-ok-button" role="button">OK</a><script type="text/javascript">
        (function() {
            function {%=id%}Okay_click(event, data) {
            {%=id%}Popup.hide();
        }
        
                $('#{%=id%}Okay').on('click', {%=id%}Okay_click);
        })();
    </script></li></ul><a href="javascript:void(0);" class="close-reveal-modal" aria-label="Close Modal">&#215;</a><div class="last-modal-focus focus-utility-element" tabindex="0"></div>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
        (function() {
            {%=id%}Popup = new SS.Popup.ModalPopup('{%=id%}');
        })();
    </script>

Skip to main content

1. United States

Add Comment

Membership Required

Remove From Your Block List

Manage Follow Preferences

Block

Please wait...