FIX TO STATE PROBATION SYSTEM EARNS UNANIMOUS SUPPORT
Representative Brian Hill’s HB 2490 earns national recognition for incentivizing success, enhancing Oklahoma’s restorative workforce for those on probation
Oklahoma City, OK – Today, the Oklahoma Senate unanimously passed House Bill 2490 with a 47-0 vote. The bill gives judges the discretion to modify community supervision or probation terms for those who received a suspended or split sentence. Oklahoma is one of only a handful of states that does not limit the length of sentences that are served in the community following a conviction.
Sponsored by Representative Brian Hill (R-Mustang), HB 2490 allows Oklahomans who have served five years of their suspended sentence or suspended portion of their split sentences in their communities to petition a judge for a sentence modification if they have completed the terms and conditions of their probation—including maintaining or actively seeking employment and completing rehabilitative programming—and they have no pending violations or revocation hearings.
The bill also allows a person who has gone above and beyond the already tough requirements of their probation and obtained a higher education degree, vocational or career training certification, or maintained consistent employment to petition a court for a sentence modification after four years.
“House Bill 2490 creates a framework that incentivizes success, enhances Oklahoma’s restorative workforce, and improves correctional outcomes for those who were already deemed safe enough to serve their sentences in their communities, ” said Lauren Krisai, Deputy Director of the Justice Action Network, “We commend Representative Hill for his commitment to enhancing Oklahoma’s restorative workforce and crafting this important bill, and thank Assistant Majority Floor Leader Daniels for her astute leadership in the Senate. Unanimous support is a ringing endorsement for a fairer, safer, and more effective justice system in Oklahoma.”
The Justice Action Network is the largest bipartisan criminal justice reform organization working at both the state and federal levels. The organization supports evidence-based criminal justice and reentry reforms, including many enacted in Oklahoma, such as the Sarah Stitt Act