Oklahoma City, Okla. (May 20, 2019) – Governor Kevin Stitt today issued Executive Order 2019-22 to form the Criminal Justice Reentry, Supervision, Treatment and Opportunity Reform (RESTORE) Task Force.
“This task force will bring together all stakeholders to discuss the criminal code, diversion programs, victims’ rights, and our prison system. When Oklahoma comes together as one team, we can create bold change that will offer our fellow citizens a second chance while also keeping our communities and streets safe,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “We are making great progress this Legislative session on criminal justice reform, from investing in drug courts and diversion programs to stabilizing District Attorneys' funding sources by ending their dependency on fines, fees and court costs. My administration remains committed to changing our state’s number one incarceration ranking, which is why I created the RESTORE Task Force to begin preparing reform recommendations for 2020.”
The RESTORE Task Force will submit by December 6 criminal justice reform recommendations for consideration during the 2020 Legislative session. The Executive Order specifically calls for the task force to look at how to reduce Oklahoma’s incarceration rate, reduce the recidivism rate, and enhance and establish diversion programs. The Task Force will work in collaboration with the Criminal Justice Reclassification Coordination Council currently preparing a report to modernize and classify the criminal code, which will set the stage for additional sentencing reform and bail bond reform.
The 15-person Task Force will be led by the Governor’s Secretary of Public Safety and include the Attorney General and a designee made by the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Temp of the Senate.
EO 2019-22 can be read by clicking here: https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/executive/1874.pdf.
