REPORT SUGGESTS SENTENCING REFORMS

A report from the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center suggests major
reforms in how criminals, specifically drug offenders, are sentenced in
Oklahoma. The report, obtained Wednesday by The Oklahoman, will be
discussed at today's meeting of the Oklahoma Sentencing Commission. It is
designed to encourage the Legislature to reform sentencing laws in order to
cut expenses in the state prison system.

Among the report's recommendations:

Intermediate sanctions for probation violations. Current laws put criminals
on probation back in prison for probation violations.

Establish quantity thresholds for drug crimes. Oklahoma has no such
discretionary tool for certain cocaine and methamphetamine crimes,
according to the report.

Lesser sentences for "low-level" methamphetamine manufacturing crimes, such
as those cases when the drug is made for personal use and not for sale.

Increase the use of misdemeanor convictions and community sentencing for
drug possession crimes and shorten the length of drug possession sentences.

Allow probation for non-violent repeat offenders.

Lowering the number of drug offenders who are imprisoned could save the
financially-strapped Corrections Department money, said department
spokesman Jerry Massie.

"That seems to be the largest category of people coming in, is drug
crimes," Massie said. "It's been that way for several years.

"The major way we're going to reduce our budget is if the population (of
prisoners) goes down."

The report states that graduated sanctions for probation violators could
also cut costs. Instead of sending probation violators back to prison, the
report recommends using short jail stints, community service or treatment
programs. The report says such programs could be one-half to one-fifth as
expensive as incarceration.

The report also notes Oklahoma has a higher maximum sentence for
methamphetamine manufacturing -- life in prison -- than all of its
neighboring states.