Oklahoma Starts Getting 'Smart' On Crime

Parole candidates now get hearings closer to when they qualify to be considered

The governor's task force on corrections reform has finally begun implementing some simple and effective reforms for saving money while making sure the 85% prison terms are completed.  Speaker Hickman took to the House floor to present HB3159. It allows a candidate for parole to receive a hearing just prior to meeting the 85% completion date of his sentence.   Previously, the inmate had to first  attain the 85% of the time sentenced to incarceration before applying for a parole hearing. this led to many inmates having to serve as much as 95% of their sentence before a hearing could be scheduled and completed.   The hearings and standards for release are not changed. It is simply a coordinated effort let the best candidates for parole go home as soon as they reach the 85% requirement. Democrats and Republicans joined ranks to give this reform a 90-0 unanimous vote of approval.