Leaders discuss justice reform
Public Defender of Oklahoma County Bob Ravitz t old community leaders he looks at criminal justice as part of a business model.
“I think for the first time, citizens in this state looked at cri minal justice and criminal justice reform as a business model,” Ravitz said Tuesday while talking about recent sentencing changes. “Because if you lock up everybody, if you continue to lead the nation in locking up women and men now, where do you have the money for education, for welfare programs, for victims of domestic abuse, for drug and alcohol treatment programs?”
R av itzw as part of a four-person panel that discussed criminal justice reform during a meeting of the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City.
Panelists spoke about a shift in public perception surrounding criminal justice reform and current efforts t hat are underway to look at the “entire pipeline.”
Ravitz said the state's prison population is down almost 2,000 beds over this time last year as a result of State Question 780, which made certain drug and property crimes misdemeanors instead of felonies. The county jail population has dropped by more than 850 people over the past three years because of reforms instituted by the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Advisory Council, Ravitz said.
Panelists talked about challenges with fines and fee sande mph asized the importance of early intervention to help break cycles and change the trajectory of people's lives before they become involved in the criminal justice system.
Catt Burton, an assistant district attorney and team leader in the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office, said she doesn' t enjoy seeing former clients at t he county courthouse who are there for their grandchildren.
“We' ve got to start earlier than when they're 18 and they' re in the Oklahoma County jail,” Burton said. “We've got to start much earlier and we've got to get people to be better parents and teach them how to be parents and give them what they need so that their children don't repeat and so that we don' t have three-time and four-time family members.”
Tricia Ever est, who moderated the panel discussion, said if one person goes to prison, it affects everyone.
If children are given the proper care they need and pathways out of trauma, they might never end up in intake, said Everest, who is chair of the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority and ex-officio chair of t he governor's RESTORE Task Force.
“Historically, we' ve waited and ignored that child and we locked them up later saying we're tough on crime,” she said. “This panel has been a huge part of the change. You all listening are a bigger part of t he change. Coming together, we will change the outlook.”
Sue Ann Arnall, CEO forth eA rn all Family Foundation, discussed plans for a“diversion hub” that' s part of the city's MAPS 4 proposals. The hub would help relieve pressure on the Oklahoma County jail and help lowlevel offenders establish a more productive life.
Arnall said the diversion hub will be a one-stop s hop with wraparound services from providers who are already in the community who will be housed under one roof. People will have access to a variety of services, including education, mental health, housing and employment. MAPS 4 would provide $17 million for the project.
R av it zs aid city leaders have stressed the need to make criminal justice reform a focus of the MAPS 4 vote. MAPS 4 proposals also include funding for two new mental health crisis centers. Police officers often have nowhere to take people who are in mental health crisis other than the jail because crisis centers are full, Ravitz said.
“Putting somebody who is going through a serious mental breakdown into a crisis center and stabilizing that person for a couple days is the difference between saving that person or throwing them into the county jail where it' s just going to get worse and worse and worse,” Ravitz said. “… When people have jobs or when they're not homeless, they're less likely to commit crimes. That's what criminal justice reform is about.”