Oklahoma Watch combed through thousands of pages of parole data, showing a correlation between member absences and higher parole denial rates.

The post Oklahoma Parole Rates Drop When a Board Member is Absent appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Oklahoma's Survivors Act allows abuse victims to seek sentence reductions, but implementation has been chaotic. Most petitions fail due to missing records, lack of legal help, and inconsistent county practices. Only one person has been released statewide. Incarcerated survivors face systemic barriers preventing meaningful access to the law's promised relief.

The post From Promise to Patchwork: How Oklahoma’s Domestic Violence Sentencing Law is Failing in Practice appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

The Pardon and Parole Board may only consider medical parole if the Department of Corrections director requests it. Pending legislation could change that.

The post Attorney General: Only the DOC Director Can Refer Prisoners For Medical Parole appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Following a pandemic-era decline, the state’s prison population has ticked up every year since 2023.

The post Oklahoma’s Prison Population Climbed in 2025 appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

The agency has spent millions to purchase the devices and store footage, but says it can’t release recordings due to security concerns.

The post Department of Corrections Refuses to Release Body Camera Footage appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

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A decision by the state’s domestic violence board exposed a rift over how a mandatory protective tool is to be used and led chairman and domestic violence advocate Brandon Pasley to resign.

The post Domestic Violence Board Chairman Resigns in Protest appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

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Brittany Sanchez gave birth to her first child while shackled to a hospital bed. Despite another person's confession, Sanchez served multiple sentences and spent years torn from her children.

The post Case of Mistaken Identity or Panhandle ‘Family Justice’? Woman’s Arrest Highlights Systemic Concerns appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

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Tremane Wood reads a statement to the Pardon and Parole Board via video conference on Nov. 5, 2025. (Screenshot) Gov. Kevin Stitt has until Thursday morning to decide whether to spare Tremane Wood’s life. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 on Wednesday to recommend clemency for Wood, who was sentenced to death for [...]

The post Clemency Recommendation Rests With Stitt appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

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Thanks to an Oct. 28 FCC ruling, incarcerated Oklahomans and their family members will continue to pay about double the 6-cent-per-minute rate that was in effect for most of 2025.

The post Reduced Oklahoma Prison Phone Call Rates Aren’t Coming Back appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

A Stillwater teenager was convicted on 11 counts of sexually related crimes that carried sentences totalling 78 years if served consecutively. A plea deal got him counseling and supervision for less than a year, causing a community outcry.

The post Families Outraged After OSU Official’s Son Spared Prison in Sexual Assault Case appeared first on Oklahoma Watch.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.