Why Oklahoma Has the Most Women Per Capita in Prison
News
The Wall Street Journal
January 2, 2018

“Oklahoma incarcerates more women per capita than any other state—about 151 out of every 100,000 women, double the national average.

“The total prison population, including men, reached 28,850 in June 2016, according to an official report.

“Voters passed two measures aimed at effecting change, and both went into effect in July despite lawmakers’ efforts to repeal them. One reduced certain low-level crimes, including drug possession, from felonies to misdemeanors punishable by treatment instead of jail time. The second created a fund intended to allocate savings from the reduction to rehabilitation programs, including drug and mental-health treatment.”

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