SENTENCING DEAL MADE

Capitol Bureau

House and Senate Republican leaders said Tuesday they will support a
compromise sentencing bill when the Legislature resumes its special session
today.

Legislators will meet today to try to repeal a 1997 truth-in-sentencing bill
that has been criticized by most legislators and law enforcement officers as
being too soft on crime.

The 1997 bill goes into effect Thursday if it isn't repealed today.

Legislators also will try to pass a new sentencing bill that would require
people convicted of any of 11 serious crimes to serve 85 percent of their
sentences before being eligible for parole.

The bill also would establish pilot community sentencing programs in 10
counties.

Senate Republican leader Mark Snyder said he will vote for the new
sentencing bill.

"It doesn't have all we would like," said Snyder, R-Edmond. However, Snyder
said it is a good first step.

Rep. Fred Morgan, R-Oklahoma City, the GOP leader in the House, said, "I
support it and a majority of the (Republican) caucus will too."

Those crimes for which an inmate must serve 85 percent of his sentence are:
first-degree murder; robbery with a weapon; first-degree rape; first-degree
arson; first-degree burglary; bombing; child abuse both physical and sexual;
child pornography; forcible sodomy; child prostitution and lewd molestation.

Current sentences for convictions of these crimes will be the same as they
are under current law.

The pilot community sentencing programs would be established in Tulsa,
Grady, Wagoner, Cherokee, Pontotoc, Hughes, Seminole, Rogers, Mayes and
Craig counties.

In community sentencing, non-violent offenders could be sentenced by a judge
to such things as alcohol and drug rehabilitation, job training and literacy
training.

Republicans have been concerned that some people convicted of violent crimes
could be placed in community sentencing programs.

The new sentencing bill provides that any inmate convicted of a violent
offense could not get into community sentencing without the approval of the
district attorney in the area.