WE MUST BE MORE CAREFUL WHO WE LOCK UP

Editorial Roundup

Oklahoma's editorial writers expressed their opinions on a variety of
topics last week, including prisons and mental health. Here is a sampling:

July 24

The Edmond Sun On Prisons:

What if they threw a special legislative session and the House of
Representatives didn't show up? Considering the wacky antics of our state
legislators, it could happen. You bet it could happen.

Seriously though it appears as of Friday that Speaker of the House, Todd
Hiett, R-Kellyville, is digging in his heels and refusing to go along with
Gov. Brad Henry's proposal for a second special session in 2005. Henry
wants to give more money to the Department of Corrections to hire more
correctional officers (we used to call them prison guards) and also to
adequately fund the state's commission to organize centennial celebrations
for Oklahoma's 100th birthday in 2007.

Henry, who may be the most adroit politician in Oklahoma today, is not
having much luck with Hiett over the corrections funding or Senate
Democrats about money for the centennial commission.

It's difficult to not sympathize deeply with the plight of the state's
overworked and underpaid correctional officers. With state prisons bulging
with prisoners and the system overrun with people on parole or probation,
corrections officers are valiantly trying to plug holes. It's tough but
vital work and hardly anyone disagrees we need more corrections officers.
They could also use a pay raise because of the dangerous nature of their work.

But the real problem is a lack of a long-term solution to the problems.
What Henry wants to do in a special session and what Hiett wants to put off
until the next regular session, is the equivalent of slapping a Band-Aid on
a gaping wound. It might help a little, but it doesn't address the real
problem.

Oklahoma ranks in the top 10 states for the percentage of its population
behind bars and we're in the top 2 in percentage of women behind bars. It's
difficult to believe that Oklahomans are less likely to obey the law than,
say, people living in Arkansas or Mississippi, not to mention Texas and its
record number of executions.

What is really comes down to is the laws and the criminal justice system.
Over the past decade or so, Oklahoma laws have become tougher, prison
sentences have become longer and more activities have become illegal.

What the governor and the speaker should do is mandate an overhaul of the
entire legal system.

In short we need to be smarter about who we lock up and who might benefit
from closely supervised probation, education and drug treatment. It costs
far less and it's far less dangerous for corrections officers.

Aug. 2

The Tulsa World On Mental Health:

An article in Sunday's Tulsa World by staff writer Mick Hinton verifies
what advocates have been saying for many months -- that inadequacies in the
state's mental health care system have led to worrisome increases at the
state's only remaining mental health hospital, Griffin Memorial Hospital in
Norman.

That the number of patients regularly is above the 140 patient capacity is
not terribly surprising, given that the state has been slow to fund and
establish the sorts of community services needed to help stabilize these
individuals.

But the news is not all bad. While the patient count at Griffin has reached
as high as 181 and not infrequently is as high as 160, it is still well
below the 6,300 count that was the norm in the 1960s. And these days,
patients usually spend no more than a few weeks in the hospital, whereas
decades ago they were kept in such facilities for years.

Oklahoma several years ago downsized its mental hospital capacity with the
aim of expanding and improving community-based services.

There has been considerable improvement in such services, but the fact
there is a waiting list usually of about 500 people seeking such care
indicates there are still major gaps.

State Mental Health Commissioner Terry Cline, also secretary of health, is
closely monitoring the Griffin situation and has authorized the hiring of
more staff to deal with the increased patient load. Cline thinks the higher
numbers could be due, at least in part, to cutbacks in mental health
services that were forced during the state budget crisis several years ago.

One health care provider wondered if the state has cut back the number of
inpatient beds too drastically, a question raised by other advocates in
recent months.

Cline believes that new funding of $5.5 million appropriated in the last
legislative session will go far to address access to care.

As Cline suggested, there is no need to panic. More help is on the way. But
there is a need for constant monitoring. If the gaps in the system can be
identified, then there's at least a chance they will be filled.