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Oklahoma has one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation and a prison system that remains costly, inflexible, and often disconnected from modern rehabilitation science. At the Oklahoma State Capitol, lawmakers recently held a formal study on the impact of life without parole sentences and the potential benefits of adopting Second Look policies like those already in place in many other states. Second Look laws create a structured opportunity for people serving extreme

Understanding Oklahoma’s incarceration history and the data behind it brings us to an important question: what happens next? For decades, Oklahoma relied on policies rooted in fear rather than evidence. The “super predator” era encouraged long sentences, aggressive prosecution, and limited opportunities for review. As a result, many people who entered prison as emerging adults have now served 25, 30, even 40 years. They are no longer the people they were at sentencing, yet th

In a previous post, we explored how Oklahoma’s tough-on-crime era created a lost generation of emerging adults. This piece looks at the data behind that reality and why lawmakers are now reconsidering long sentences. Oklahoma has long had one of the highest incarceration rates in the United States, a legacy shaped by decades of tough sentencing policies and aggressive prosecution strategies. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Oklahoma’s imprisonment rate was roug

Oklahoma has one of the highest incarceration rates in the United States. For years, the state’s prison population grew faster than almost anywhere else, leading to overcrowded facilities and deep strain on communities. A significant number of people behind bars today were incarcerated during the era in the 1990s and early 2000s when “super predator” rhetoric dominated crime policy. That language and the aggressive tactics lawmakers relied on then have left a long legacy, one

Emerging Adults ; 18 to 25 at the time of sentencing often call through the cracks of our justice system. Not quite minors, yet not fully developed mentally or emotionally, they are frequently punished more harshly than younger peers, even for the same offenses. The consequences are long-lasting and life altering. Many grow old; having spent more time behind bars than in society. Despite rehabilitation marked by demonstation; personal growth development and accomplishments a