Parolee accountability measure passes out of Senate committee

Oklahoma Senate Education Committee Chairman Adam Pugh (R-Edmond)

OKLAHOMA CITY – An important criminal justice reform measure made it out of committee late Wednesday and will next be considered by the full Senate.

Sen. Adam Pugh is the author of Senate Bill 1456, which directs the Department of Corrections to annually review its inmate rehabilitation case plans with all parole-eligible inmates.

“Currently, offenders can get early release for good behavior, but behavior alone won’t guarantee their successful reintegration into society or prevent re-entry into the corrections system.  We must ensure that while incarcerated they are getting the counseling, education, life skills training and other tools they need to change their lives and become law-abiding, self-sufficient citizens,” Pugh said.  “This bill will ensure DOC is holding offenders accountable to make sure they can stand on their own two feet once released.  While serving out their sentences, we want to make sure they are being prepared for a successful future.”

Any inmates found not in compliance with their case plan would not be able to use their earned credits towards early release – a step Pugh says is necessary to hold offenders accountable and ensure proper rehabilitation before release.

“We don’t want to just be warehousing offenders in our prison system. We want to give them all the tools they need so they’ll never come back,” Pugh said.

SB 1456, which was unanimously approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee, now goes before the full Senate.