Weekly Opinion Editorial
JAILHOUSE ROCK!
by Steve
Fair
Last week Oklahoma Governor Kevin
Stitt pardoned 462 people serving in Oklahoma prisons. The commutation was the largest in U.S.
history and represented a combined 1,931 remaining years in prison. The mass release reduced Oklahoma’s prison
population by 1.7%. There are around 300
others still in prison that could be released in the near future. All those released were being held on
non-violent offenses according to the governor’s office. Drug possession with intent to distribute was
the most common reason they were in the pokey.
Up until the jailhouse was opened up, the Sooner state led the nation in
percent of population in jail (1% of the population). The mass pardon is the result of the passage
of SQ# 780 and 781 two years ago when voters approved decriminalizing and
recategorizing several felonies. SQ 780 and 781 have proven to have done
exactly the opposite of what they said they wanted to do- lower crime. Three observations:
First, a mass commuting of
sentences is not without risks. It is
risky for the Governor politically, but it is also risky for the Oklahoma
population at large. Many of those
released last week root issue is substance addiction. Handing them $50 and telling them to stay clean
is not going to work. The state should
have developed a support infrastructure, partnering with faith based agencies, before
emptying the slammer. Thirty one years
ago, in the 1988 presidential election, Vice President George HW Bush used
Governor Michael Dukakis’ approval of a weekend furlough program that resulted
in convicted felon Willie Horton assaulting and raping a young women to paint
Dukakis as soft on crime. When elected leaders fail to keep the populace
safe because of insane policies, they usually pay the price at the ballot box.
Second, Oklahoma’s crime
rate is already on the rise. In a recent
FBI report, Oklahoma ranked as the third least safe state in the county. As a direct result of the reclassification of
some felonies (780 & 781), burglary is up substantially. Oklahoma’s rate of crimes to ‘property’ are
five times the national rate and that is before the ‘I’ll fly away’ of 462
people this week. If a thief knows they
will not be prosecuted for stealing, they will steal. The felony most often associated with drug
addiction is crimes against property- stealing to get money to buy drugs.
Third, Oklahoma’s incarceration rate is deplorable. That doesn’t mean those in Oklahoma prisons
shouldn’t be there. They are not there
unjustly. They broke the law and were
tried and found guilty by a jury of their peers. It means Oklahoma (government and private
sector) has failed to provide help for addicts and those suffering with mental
illness, but the answer is not emptying the jails to lower crime. Educating the overall population may help,
but in most case the criminal just becomes smarter.
The fact is mankind is in slavery to sin
and until God brings about a change of heart in the criminal/addict, no amount
of feel good programs will work. In the
meantime, hardworking Oklahomans better start securing personal property. There is now an average of six formerly
jailed felons per county back on the street.
We better pray they were ‘reformed’ in prison and not just taught to
play the slide trombone.
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