“Right on Crime’s policy suggestions can help Oklahoma curb our state spending and incarceration rates,” said Oklahoma House Speaker Kris Steele, as Right on Crime launched its Oklahoma-focused initiative this week. At Tuesday’s press conference, Right On Crime’s Marc Levin said “we have a system that grows when it fails,” and he emphasized that “states can save millions by increasing rehabilitation programs, which are often more effective than incarceration.” Together with the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, Right on Crime hopes to empower state lawmakers to make critical policy changes.

In addition to saving costs, Levin highlighted Right on Crime’s focus on better outcomes for low-risk, non-violent offenders and the importance of utilizing performance-based evaluation to gauge the effectiveness of correctional policies. In Texas, a focus on efficiency and performance led to savings of $137 million and an eight percent decrease in the crime rate.

In addition to Levin, Tuesday’s press conference featured remarks by Speaker Steele and Michael Carnuccio of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs. On Wednesday, the Oklahoma House passed HB 1931 which would shorten sentences for “low-risk, nonviolent” offenders and expand the use of electronic monitoring, treatment programs and other forms of supervised release.