Ford Appointed to Criminal Justice Council

Representative Ross Ford

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow, has been appointed by House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, to serve as a member of the Criminal Justice Reclassification Coordination Council beginning immediately.

The council, chaired by Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter, reviews the reclassification of felonies and sentence lengths and makes recommendations to the governor and House and Senate leaders to ensure the safety of the public.

“I’m honored by the speaker’s trust in me to serve in this capacity,” Ford said. “Making sure our laws keep the public safe, but are fair for those accused of crimes, is important to me, as it is to all Oklahomans. I look forward to the important work this council has been tasked to perform.”

Ford is a 25-year veteran of the Tulsa Police Department where he worked as a patrol officer and as a DARE and community relations officer. He said this experience will help him serve the council’s mission of considering reforms to Oklahoma’s felony classification system and sentencing requirements.

The 22-member Criminal Justice Reclassification Coordination Council is made up of law enforcement personnel, judicial system representatives, mental health and recovery professionals, private sector advocates and state government partners. The council met eight times in 2019. A report of their work can be found here: https://www.oag.ok.gov/sites/g/files/gmc766/f/documents/2020/cjrcc_annual_report_2019.pdf.