How will you vote in November?
Filed by Rachel Hubbard in Feature, Uncategorized.
September 25, 2012
A state question on the November ballot would remove Oklahoma’s governor from the parole process. Oklahoma is now the only state where the governor must sign off on each parole after the parole board approves the inmate for release. Some look at it as a money issue. Governor Mary Fallin approves 51 percent of the inmates the parole board recommends. With an annual lock-up cost per inmate at more than $15,000 each year, it’s expensive for the state to keep people in prison. However, do we really want to risk letting inmates out who might offend again? In addition, the ethics of the parole board are now in question. Earlier this year, the parole board was accused of secretly considering inmates for parole who weren’t yet eligible. So, is having the governor involved in the parole process a good check and balance system for the state or a redundancy that costs taxpayers thousands of dollars each year? Join us for a discussion on the issue Wednesday, September 26 at 6 p.m at Picasso Café in Oklahoma City’s Paseo Arts District.
events
Love the idea that you are having these—wish my schedule allowed attendance.
I am not sure, but I think the prison system is so over-loaded that I think they may do early outs because of the needed space. (this is a guess). We have inmates that come and go that help clean our facility (a State Agency). It seems that, admirably, they are given some programs to complete regarding ethics and psychological/social issues, but we have still had some inmates that have disappointed us by stealing from us. These are women, and though their accounts of their situation are skewed in their favor, it sounds as it there is also some abuse going on with people who are custodians of these people. That is probably another issue…..