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By Keaton Ross | Oklahoma Watch Jun 4, 2021
5 hrs ago
Michael Washington holds a sign with the number of an inmate who was infected with COVID-19. Washington, who was incarcerated in the 1970s and helps inmates with legal paperwork, joined a small crowd outside of the Department of Corrections Oklahoma City headquarters in December to protest prison conditions. Whitney Bryen / Oklahoma Watch
Looking to prevent widespread COVID-19 outbreaks behind bars, corrections officials in several states moved quickly in 2020 to release medically vulnerable and nonviolent prisoners.
Wisconsin freed 1,600 people from its prisons from March 2 through May 4, 2020, most of them serving time for parole and probation violations. The Iowa Department of Corrections approved the release of 700 prisoners on March 23 of last year.
IowaUnited-statesOklahomaTulsaSapulpaWisconsinStillwaterOklahoma-cityOklahomansBrian-hillMelissa-provenzanoMarcus-mcentireAuthors For Sarah Stitt Act Aim To Give Prisoners A Level Playing Field Upon Release
The state legislature is in session through the end of May, which means bills like the Sarah Stitt Act were awaiting Gov. Kevin Stitt s stamp of approval.
News On 6 spoke with those who authored the bill to break down what the passing of House Bill 1679 could mean for incarcerated Oklahomans ready to reenter society.
House Bill 1679 requires the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to identify inmates leaving custody within nine months of release and begin gathering documentation crucial for post-incarceration employment.
The Justice Department said Oklahoma holds the second-highest incarceration rate in the U.S., but state legislators hope to change the narrative.
OklahomaUnited-statesOklahomansBrian-hillKevin-stittOklahoma-department-of-correctionsJustice-departmentSarah-stitt-actHouse-billOklahoma-departmentMarilyn-starkSocial-security