News & Commentary

In the face of continued discrimination in our state, we celebrated amazing wins for the rights of many Oklahomans. As these laws become closer to reality, we will continue to track these bills in the Capitol and brace to defend our civil liberties after this session adjourns.

Felony murder charges directly contribute to mass incarceration. Given that OK consistently ranks in the top 3 incarcerators in the nation, with rates even higher than the US as a whole, it is imperative legislators consider the felony murder doctrine in conversations about criminal justice reform.

The ACLU OK Oklahoma's weekly policy and advocacy newsletter.

The ACLU OK Oklahoma's weekly policy and advocacy newsletter.

The ACLU OK Oklahoma's weekly policy and advocacy newsletter.

The ACLU OK Oklahoma's weekly policy and advocacy newsletter.

What We’re Asking from the Oklahoma Legislature in 2021 and Beyond

On November 3, Oklahomans will have their final opportunity to lend their vote to meaningful criminal justice reform this cycle by voting Yes on State Question 805. As is often the case for criminal justice reform in Oklahoma, opposition to this modest reform has been rife with misinformation, and rooted in the idea that somehow a state who has managed to incarcerate people at the highest rates in the world to the detriment of our public safety is doing justice. 

Oklahoma County Jail is just at the beginning of its COVID crisis. But it’s in an ongoing carceral crisis as well. We can’t talk about one without the other.