News & Updates

Representative Danny Morgan Reports

Contact: State Rep. Danny Morgan
Capitol: (405) 557-7368

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 13, 2009) - Legislation that would prioritize the education of illiterate inmates during their prison sentence has been passed by the House.

House Bill 2047, authored by House Democratic Leader Danny Morgan, D-Prague, will require that the Department of Corrections' education programs ensure that inmates have an opportunity to achieve the equivalent of a high school education.

Current law requires only an eighth-grade education achievement for inmates in prison programs.

"The prison education programs are in place to help restore convicted persons to a community with the basic skills that will allow them to reclaim their life," said Morgan, D-Prague. "Right now, the bar is set so low that we are letting people leave prison without the tools they need to support themselves upon their release.

"Oklahoma jails continue to remain overcrowded, and our state has the highest incarceration rate of women per capita, as well as the fifth highest overall incarceration rate in the nation. We need to change our focus to evidence-based programs proven to reduce recidivism."

In addition to raising the educational bar to the equivalent of a high school education, this bill seeks to prioritize the education of illiterate inmates within the prisoner education program and conduct an educational evaluation of each inmate upon his or her entry into the prison system

"Incarceration is not only a means of punishment, but also an opportunity for recovery and self-improvement," Morgan said. "This bill is a preventative and proactive way to address recidivism and the growing problem of prison growth and overcrowding."

House Bill 2673 passed out of the House by a 93-1 vote and now proceeds to the state Senate.

Bill to Reduce Recidivism Passes House

Current law requires only an eighth-grade education achievement for inmates in prison education programs. The prison education programs are in place to help restore convicted persons to a community with the basic skills that will allow them to reclaim their life. Right now, the bar is set so low that we are letting people leave prison without the tools they need to support themselves upon their release.

Oklahoma jails continue to remain overcrowded, and our state has the highest incarceration rate of women per capita, as well as the fifth highest overall incarceration rate in the nation. We need to change our focus to evidence-based programs proven to reduce recidivism. In addition to raising the educational bar to the equivalent of a high school education, this bill seeks to prioritize the education of illiterate inmates within the prisoner education program and conduct an educational evaluation of each inmate upon his or her entry into the prison system

Also of note, if you forget to renew your driver's license in the month it expires, a bill that passed the House last week would give you extra time to renew - without the extra hassle. House Bill 1092 would give Oklahoma residents an extra 30 days to renew their license without having to show additional proof of identity, such as a birth certificate.

After passage of stricter immigration laws under House Bill 1804 in 2007 many Oklahomans experienced frustration when regulations dictated you could no longer renew an expired license through a tag agent, and that additional forms of ID - such as a valid birth certificate - were required for late renewals. Some of those restrictions were subsequently scaled back, allowing people with recently expired licenses to renew through tag agencies. However, under current law, you still must present additional identification if you are late with a renewal.

Please let me know if you have any comments, questions or concerns by contacting me at dannymorgan@okhouse.gov, 800-522-8502, ext. 368, or 2300 North Lincoln Blvd, Room 548, Oklahoma City, OK 73105.

Danny Morgan for State Representative
NBU 4706
Prague, OK 74864
405-567-4786