Budgeting Issues Restrict Treatment Investments in Oklahoma Prison
Oklahoma's Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency cited a "lack of transparency" in DOC's budgeting process and slammed recent across-the-board raises.
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Six years after Oklahoma voters approved policies to reduce sentences for non-violent crimes, to then use the savings to fund mental health and substance abuse programs, taxpayers are still paying more to fund the Department of Corrections, while investments in mental health and substance abuse are still not there, reports KTUL.com. The DOC has received a $544.3 million allocation from the state, despite a report finding that they should have saved more than $56.3 million in the last two years due to a 12 percent drop in inmates.
The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) reports that the agency has $26.6 million in funding for 754 vacant positions, which has now grown to nearly 1,000 open positions. LOFT also cited a “lack of transparency” in DOC’s budgeting process and slammed recent across-the-board raises, costing $45.5 million to address a staffing shortage. More targeted raises for critical positions would have saved taxpayers $26 million. In addition, LOFT’S projections show Oklahoma’s prison population will continue to plummet to below 14,000 by 2027. And new tech should also continue driving down costs.
