About a third of American adults in the correctional system are incarcerated, while the rest are on probation or parole. In Oklahoma, that number balloons to more than half being incarcerated.

Some state officials say being so much higher than the national average wastes state funding and overcrowds correctional facilities.

Oklahoma is ranked 43 for the number of people on probation and parole, while the adult incarceration ranking is the seventh highest.

“We are a very conservative state and I guess that is why we incarcerate more people than other states,” said Terry Jenks, Pardon and Parole Board executive director.

After the implementation of the “truth in sentencing” law in 1999, convicts of certain offenses are required to serve at least 85 percent of their jail time before being eligible for parole. Before 1999, an offender only had to serve a third of their time to become eligible.

“With [the 85 percent rule], legislators continue to be harsh by adding additional crimes to the list,” Jenks said.

He said Oklahoma started with 11 offenses under the 85 percent rule in 2000 and now is up to 19.

Another reason Jenks said he believes it is difficult to obtain parole in Oklahoma is because the state has an extra step in the parole process.

“The Pardon and Parole Board sees and reviews over 600 cases about every six months and recommends about 30 percent of the cases they see,” Jenks said. “The board is not particularly harsh with a national average of 34 percent.”

After the Pardon and Parole Board makes its decisions, the eligible parolees must await approval from the governor’s office, which has the final say.

Oklahoma’s Department of Corrections forecasts major overcrowding problems in 10 to 20 years if the incarceration rate continues to grow and is not abated.

“We need to look at the other side of the issue, taking into account nonviolent offenders and the alternatives to prison time for them,” said Jerry Massie, Oklahoma Department of Corrections spokesman.

In some community court systems, a lack of resources like well-trained public defenders, drug rehab and mental treatment centers causes nonviolent offenders to be forced into prison rather than be subject to other community solutions such as probation, said Massie.

“It is considerably cheaper to parole or probate an offender rather than incarcerate them,” he said.

With more funding for the community courts, Massie said he thinks the state incarceration rate could be lowered.

Massie said it costs the state more than $20,000 a year to incarcerate an offender, compared to about $730 a year to supervise them on probation or parole.

Another solution to the overcrowding of prisons would be to expand the use of private prisons; prisons not owned or maintained by the state.

Massie said while Oklahoma holds six private prisons, the state only uses three. Costing about $18,250 per year per inmate, private prisons are slightly cheaper than the state-run prisons.

“I understand that legislators want to be tough on crime but we should look at each case individually,” Jenks said. “Some people deserve to be punished and stay in prison as long as their sentence is, but there are others that can be rehabilitated and reintroduced into society.”

OKLAHOMA INCARCARATION RANKINGS

• In adult incarceration rates, Oklahoma is ranked 7th with 1.32% of the adult population currently in prison and jail.

• In adult community supervision rates, Oklahoma is ranked 43 with 1.09% of the adult population currently on probation and parole.

SOURCE: Pew Center for the States