OKLAHOMA SENATE PASSES BILL TO INCENTIVIZE WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION, ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY

Legislation Heads to Oklahoma House for Final Passage   

House Bill 4369 Would Incentivize Productive Reentry for People on Supervised Parole

Oklahoma City—Today, the Oklahoma Senate voted 45-1 to pass House Bill 4369, sponsored by Representative Brian Hill (R-47) and Senator Dave Rader (R-Tulsa). The bill incentivizes compliance with parole supervision and workforce participation by allowing 30 days of earned time credit for every month of compliance with terms of supervised parole. The bill now heads back to the House for final passage, then to Governor Stitt’s desk for his signature. This bill resembles similar approaches that have proven effective in several states, including Arkansas, Missouri, and Utah.

In response, Lauren Krisai, Senior State Policy Manager for the Justice Action Network, the country’s largest organization advancing bipartisan criminal justice reform at the state and federal levels, issued the following statement:

“This legislation helps build a safer, more prosperous Oklahoma by incentivizing successful reentry for people on supervised parole. We applaud Senator Rader for his strong sponsorship in the Senate, and thank Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, and Senate Majority Floor Leader Greg McCortney for their leadership on this issue. We look forward to seeing this legislation move through the House for final passage, and signed into law by Governor Stitt, who has been a consistent champion for safer, smarter justice policy in Oklahoma.”

Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform said, “Offering an opportunity to earn a second chance for people on supervision is smart policy for taxpayers, and it will boost public safety which must be the top priority of conservative criminal justice policy. We applaud the Oklahoma Senate, Senate sponsor Dave Rader, Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, and Senate Majority Floor Leader Greg McCortney for their leadership on this commonsense, conservative bill.” 

House Bill 4369 would:

·       Allow the Department of Corrections to award earned credits to an individual serving a term of supervised parole if the person is in compliance with the terms of supervision. The Department may award 30 days of credits for each calendar month of compliance.

·       Require the Pardon and Parole Board to grant administrative parole to individuals who have complied with their case plans while incarcerated and who are within 6 months of discharge, therefore requiring that all eligible individuals serve a period of parole post-release.

·       Exclude a number of crimes from eligibility to earn credits.