In August of 2022, state leaders from all three branches of government requested technical assistance through JRI.
Governor Kevin Stitt
Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat
Speaker of the House Charles McCall
Administrative Director of the Courts Jari Askins
The state created the Modernized Operations through Data and Evidence-based Restoration Now (MODERN) Justice Task Force to better understand and address the drivers of local jail populations and associated growing costs in OK.
State leaders charged the MODERN Task Force to use the state’s data to develop comprehensive recidivism-reduction strategies, increase the cost effectiveness of Oklahoma’s state and local justice systems, and apply resources toward high performing strategies to increase public safety.
The group was composed of 11 criminal justice stakeholders
The task force met from August -December 2023
The MODERN Justice Task Force conducted a rigorous review of Oklahoma’s county jail system, using a sample of jail data provided by 6 agencies, evaluated current policies and programs across the state, discussed best practices and models from other states, and engaged in in-depth discussions.
CJI’s Phase I team provided data and research support to the MODERN Task Force but the recommendations came from the members of the group