REPORT SUGGESTS CHANGE IN SENTENCING LAWS

Oklahoma could save up to $150 million a year if it reduced the prison
population by revamping sentencing laws and putting fewer non-violent
offenders behind bars, a report states. The report was made by university
professors at the request of the Oklahoma Senate. The study comes as
lawmakers cope with revenue shortfalls that caused the Legislature to have
$677 million less to appropriate than it had a year ago at this time.

The report makes several recommendations, including removing the governor
from the parole process.

"The costs of the governor's role in the parole process (except for making
appointments to the Parole Board) far outweigh its benefits," the report
states.

It also proposes redefining crimes so those without aggravating elements can
be redefined as misdemeanors.

An example would be making unauthorized use of a motor vehicle a
misdemeanor, the report states.

More nonviolent offenders should be diverted from prison by using mandatory
probation or other programs, according to the report.

Barry Kinsey, sociology professor at the University of Tulsa, said
Oklahoma's incarceration rate is high compared with other states. The rate
should be reduced to the national average, which would save millions of
dollars, he said.

The report states the Oklahoma crime rate is only slightly above the
national average, but the state consistently ranks in the top three or four
in incarceration rates. It has the highest incarceration rate for females.

Oklahoma's incarceration rate is 658 per 100,000 population, compared with
the national average of 422 per 100,000.

The report was developed by the Oklahoma Alliance for Public Policy
Research, an organization created by Henry Bellmon after he finished his
second term as governor.

Other professors who worked on the report were Kelly R. Damphousse,
associate professor of sociology at the University of Oklahoma; Alexander
Holmes, regents professor of economics at OU; Art LeFrancois, professor of
law at Oklahoma City University School of Law, and Kent Olson, professor of
economics at Oklahoma State University.

The report also states Oklahoma's sentencing ranges should be brought into
parity with national averages.

"Much of the increase in Oklahoma incarceration has been due to having
inmates serve a higher percentage of their sentence. Until this past year,
Oklahoma has used parole only sparingly," the report states.

Oklahoma treats as felonies some offenses that are misdemeanors in
surrounding states, which establishes expensive and sometimes inappropriate
punishment levels, according to the report.

Other recommendations are:

Revoke probation when the probationer has committed a new crime rather than
when he has committed a minor infraction.

Expand the use of probation and other community sentencing sanctions for
non-violent offenders and drug offenders.

Reduce the number of crimes for which an offender must serve 85 percent of
his sentence.