EVAN. JESS, THAT’S RIGHT. BASICALLY, OKLAHOMA COUNTY AND OTHER COUNTIES ACROSS OKLAHOMA HAVE RECEIVED THE MONEY THAT THE STATE IS SAVING BY NOT PUTTING SO MANY OF THESE LOW LEVEL, NONVIOLENT OFFENDERS IN OUR JAILS AND PRISONS. COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY THAT THIS HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING. A PROCESS, THOUGH THAT ALMOST BECAME UNRAVELED DURING THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION. THERE WERE DIFFERENT WAYS YOU COULD USE THE FUNDING, BUT WE KNEW IMMEDIATELY THAT WE WANTED TO USE THEM TO SUPPORT OUR TREATMENT COURTS. OKLAHOMA COUNTY COMMISSIONER KERRY BLUMERT, ANNOUNCING THE COUNTY HAS BEEN AWARDED A THREE YEAR GRANT WORTH. $2.4 MILLION ANNUALLY. THE MONEY FROM THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SERVICES WILL BE USED TO EXPAND OKLAHOMA COUNTY’S NINE DIVERSION PROGRAMS. THEY HELP LOW LEVEL, NONVIOLENT OFFENDERS FIND TREATMENT INSTEAD OF BEING PUT BEHIND BARS. TREATMENT COURTS ARE SUPER SUCCESSFUL. THEY HELP FOLKS GET SOBER. THEY KEEP FOLKS OUT OF JAIL. IT’S WAY LESS EXPENSIVE THAN SENDING SOMEONE TO JAIL OR PRISON. THE COUNTY SAYS THEIR DIVERSION PROGRAMS HAVE AN 80% GRADUATION RATE AND THEIR REPEAT OFFENDERS ARE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. THEY’RE PRODUCTIVE, HEALTHY CITIZENS, AND THEY DO NOT ENTER BACK INTO OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE MONEY THE COUNTY RECEIVED IS FROM THE DIRECT SAVINGS FROM THE PASSAGE OF STATE QUESTION 780 AND 781 BACK IN 2016. THOSE CHANGE SOME DRUG AND PROPERTY CRIMES FROM FELONIES TO MISDEMEANORS. THE STATE CALCULATED THAT IT COST THEM 19,000 A YEAR TO INCARCERATE JUST ONE PERSON. BUT THE DIVERSION PROGRAMS ONLY COST $5,000 A YEAR. THE DIFFERENCE REINVESTED BACK INTO THE PROGRAMS. THIS IS MUCH NEEDED. FUNDING TO OUR TREATMENT COURTS, BUT THAT FUNDING IN JEOPARDY THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, HOUSE BILL 3694 BY STATE REPRESENTATIVE JOHN GEORGE WOULD HAVE UNDONE SOME OF THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY STATE. QUESTION 780 AND 781, AND CLASSIFIED MORE CRIMES AS FELONIES, POTENTIALLY PUTTING MORE PEOPLE IN JAIL. I FOLLOWED THAT IN THE LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR, AND I WAS VERY NERVOUS ABOUT IT BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD DIRECTLY INCREASE OUR JAIL NUMBERS. UM, AND IT WOULD IT WOULD MAKE IT HARDER FOR US TO KEEP OUR NUMBERS LOW AND GET FOLKS INTO THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED. THAT BILL FROM REPRESENTATIVE GEORGE DID MAKE IT OUT OF THE HOUSE, BUT IT IS CURRENTLY STALLED IN THE SENATE. MEANWHILE, BLUMER SAYS THE COUNTY ALSO HAS PLANS ON HIRING A NEW ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY THAT WILL SOLELY BE FOCUSED ON GETTING PEOPLE INTO THESE NEW DIVERSION PROGRAM
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Oklahoma County gets millions to keep low-level offenders out of jail and into treatment
The money that the county received is from the direct savings from the passage of State Question 780 and State Question 781 back in 2016
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Oklahoma County will get millions of dollars to help fund mental health care programs aimed at keeping people out of jail. >> Download the KOCO 5 AppCounty officials said the money was a direct result of the criminal justice reforms the state has made in the last decade. However, there are concerns that the state legislature could jeopardize future funds.Oklahoma County, and other counties around the state, received the money that Oklahoma is saving by not putting as many low-level offenders in jails or prisons. The years-long process almost became unraveled this session. "There were different ways you could use the money. But we knew right away we wanted to support our treatment courts," Oklahoma County Commissioner Carrie Bumert said. Blumert announced the county was awarded a three-year grant worth $2.4 million annually. The money comes from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and it will be used to expand Oklahoma County's nine diversion programs. They help low-level, non-violent offenders find treatment instead of being put behind bars. "Our treatment courts are super successful," Blumert said. "They help folks get sober. They keep folks out of jail. It is way less expensive than sending someone to prison or jail."The diversion programs have an 80% graduation rate, and their repeat offenders are in the single digits, according to the county. "They are productive, healthy citizens, and they do not enter back into our justice system," Blumert said. The money that the county received is from the direct savings from the passage of State Question 780 and State Question 781 back in 2016, which changed some drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. The state calculated that it costs $19,000 a year to incarcerate just one person. However, the diversion programs only cost $5,000 a year, and the difference is reinvested back into them. "This is much needed funding to our treatment courts," Blumert said. Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.That funding was in jeopardy this legislative session. House Bill 3694 by state Rep. John George would have undone some of the work accomplished by those state questions and classified more crimes as felonies, potentially putting more people behind bars, "I followed that in the legislature this year, and I was very nervous about it. It would directly increase our jail numbers. It would make it harder to keep our numbers low and get folks into the services they need," Blumert said. George's bill did pass out of the House, but it was stalled in the Senate. Bumert said the county also plans on hiring another assistant district attorney dedicated to divert people from prison into appropriate treatment. Top Headlines Severe storms with hail move out of OKC metro, head east WATCH: Sony microsurgery robot operates on a kernel of corn to preview the future of medicine Body recovered amid search for missing 20-year-old kayaker on Lake Carl Blackwell Tornado kills multiple people in Iowa as powerful storms again tear through Midwest
Oklahoma County will get millions of dollars to help fund mental health care programs aimed at keeping people out of jail.
>> Download the KOCO 5 App
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County officials said the money was a direct result of the criminal justice reforms the state has made in the last decade. However, there are concerns that the state legislature could jeopardize future funds.
Oklahoma County, and other counties around the state, received the money that Oklahoma is saving by not putting as many low-level offenders in jails or prisons. The years-long process almost became unraveled this session.
"There were different ways you could use the money. But we knew right away we wanted to support our treatment courts," Oklahoma County Commissioner Carrie Bumert said.
Blumert announced the county was awarded a three-year grant worth $2.4 million annually. The money comes from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and it will be used to expand Oklahoma County's nine diversion programs.
They help low-level, non-violent offenders find treatment instead of being put behind bars.
"Our treatment courts are super successful," Blumert said. "They help folks get sober. They keep folks out of jail. It is way less expensive than sending someone to prison or jail."
The diversion programs have an 80% graduation rate, and their repeat offenders are in the single digits, according to the county.
"They are productive, healthy citizens, and they do not enter back into our justice system," Blumert said.
The money that the county received is from the direct savings from the passage of State Question 780 and State Question 781 back in 2016, which changed some drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors.
The state calculated that it costs $19,000 a year to incarcerate just one person. However, the diversion programs only cost $5,000 a year, and the difference is reinvested back into them.
"This is much needed funding to our treatment courts," Blumert said.
Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.
That funding was in jeopardy this legislative session. House Bill 3694 by state Rep. John George would have undone some of the work accomplished by those state questions and classified more crimes as felonies, potentially putting more people behind bars,
"I followed that in the legislature this year, and I was very nervous about it. It would directly increase our jail numbers. It would make it harder to keep our numbers low and get folks into the services they need," Blumert said.
George's bill did pass out of the House, but it was stalled in the Senate.
Bumert said the county also plans on hiring another assistant district attorney dedicated to divert people from prison into appropriate treatment.
Top Headlines
- Severe storms with hail move out of OKC metro, head east
- WATCH: Sony microsurgery robot operates on a kernel of corn to preview the future of medicine
- Body recovered amid search for missing 20-year-old kayaker on Lake Carl Blackwell
- Tornado kills multiple people in Iowa as powerful storms again tear through Midwest
