Okla. Stat. tit. 22, § 22-1514

corrections systems.

The following purposes and policies of the criminal justice and

corrections systems are hereby established:

1. Protection of the public. Incarceration should be viewed by

the court both as punishment and as a means of protecting the

public. Limitations on the freedom of the offender and the

appropriate level of custody should be dictated in the first

instance by the nature of the offense, the violent character of the

offender, the proclivity of the offender to engage in criminal

conduct as demonstrated by his criminal record, and the sound

judgment of the sentencing court after taking into account all of

the relevant aggravating and mitigating factors involved in the

offender's record of criminal conduct.

2. Punishment of the offender. After the interests of public

protection have been addressed, consideration should be given to

restriction of the liberty of the offender in such manner and to

such extent as is necessary to demonstrate clearly that the

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 22. Criminal Procedure Page 557

offender's conduct is unacceptable to society and to discourage a

repetition of such conduct. In determining the appropriate

punishment, the court should consider a range of sanctions at the

state or community level which may include incarceration, various

degrees of restrictions on the offender's liberty including house

arrest, electronic monitoring, various degrees of supervision,

community penalties, community service, restitution, reparation, or

fines.

3. Rehabilitation of the offender. Every sentencing plan

should consider treatment and rehabilitative needs of the offender

to the extent that it addresses the cause of the criminal behavior

and, therefore, might assist in correcting such behavior. The

offender should be enrolled in a program of rehabilitation over a

definite minimal period of time. The program of rehabilitation

should involve work and recreation and may involve education,

psychological or psychiatric counseling, treatment for alcohol or

drug abuse and sexual aggression either within or without the prison

walls as the individual case may indicate. The court may recommend

remedies for alcoholism, substance abuse, mental illness, education

and employment deficiencies, and may order community-based offenders

to pay for such treatment to the extent the offender is able.

Public institutions should respond to the court order at no cost to

the indigent offender. Where treatment is not available from public

institutions, the state should purchase appropriate treatment from

the private sector.

4. Restitution and reparation. When appropriate, the

sentencing plan should provide for restitution or reparation to the

victim or victims, whether they be individual citizens,

corporations, or society as a whole, to be paid as soon as

practicable. Such restitution or reparation should include

repayment for any property stolen or damaged, medical costs and lost

wages of the victims, court costs and reasonable costs to cover

pretrial detention, and restitution to the community through

community service. In those cases where the offender can be

punished and rehabilitated outside of prison without jeopardizing

the security of the society at large in their persons or property,

it is appropriate and encouraged that the offender pay his debt to

society through a range of punishments which are alternative to

incarceration. The court should order such supervision or

restrictions as deemed necessary for the offender to comply with the

restitution orders. Failure to comply should result in stricter

measures.

5. Work policy for offenders. It is the policy of this state

that offenders should work when reasonably possible, either at jobs

in the private sector to pay restitution and support their

dependents, or at community service jobs that benefit the public, or

at useful work while in prison or jail, or at educational or
e

restitution orders. Failure to comply should result in stricter

measures.

5. Work policy for offenders. It is the policy of this state

that offenders should work when reasonably possible, either at jobs

in the private sector to pay restitution and support their

dependents, or at community service jobs that benefit the public, or

at useful work while in prison or jail, or at educational or

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 22. Criminal Procedure Page 558

treatment endeavors as a part of a rehabilitation program.

Offenders should be offered the opportunity to reduce the duration

of their sentences by earning "time" credit for work endeavors in

achieving vocational or educational skill levels. Prisoners who are

able and do not work or who refuse to participate in treatment

programs should be prohibited from enjoying privileges which may be

provided to inmates beyond those required by law.

6. Responsibility of Department of Corrections. It is the goal

of the Department of Corrections to provide adequate prison space to

ensure that those sentenced to prison will remain incarcerated until

such time as they can be safely released, or until their active

sentences are completed, and to provide community-based supervision

for those offenders selected for supervised probation and parole by

the courts and the Pardon and Parole Board.

It is the mission of the Department to provide housing,

clothing, food and medical care to its inmates, to maintain a safe

and secure prison system, to keep accurate records, to offer job

training, education, counseling, work and treatment programs deemed

appropriate to monitor and advance the rehabilitative progress of

its inmates, to provide a fair and orderly progression through

custody levels, and to make data and recommendations regarding

parole available to the Pardon and Parole Board. As an inmate

demonstrates that he is no longer a threat to society, that the

punishment has been effective and that a program of rehabilitation

is showing progress, the inmate's level of custody may be

commensurately reduced in an orderly progression through custody

levels to parole and release from supervision.

It is the mission of the Department of Corrections to receive

convicted offenders selected by the courts and the Pardon and Parole

Board and to protect society through a coordinated program of

community supervision which provides realistic opportunities for

probationers and parolees to develop skills necessary to adjust to

free society. As a probationer or parolee demonstrates that the

supervision has been effective and that a community treatment

program is showing progress, the level of supervision may be

commensurately reduced in an orderly progression to prepare for

release from supervision.