{"id":754011,"date":"2025-12-23T06:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T12:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/?p=754011"},"modified":"2025-12-26T09:48:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T15:48:59","slug":"oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma&#8217;s Prison Population Climbed in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-custom-everlit-iframe-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_1PXy4HWwyOQ?client=wp&amp;client_version=2.6.0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"80px\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n<p>As the Legislature enacted tougher sentencing laws, Oklahoma\u2019s prison population increased for a third consecutive year in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Department of Corrections reported a <a href=\"https:\/\/oklahoma.gov\/content\/dam\/ok\/en\/doc\/documents\/population\/count-sheet\/2025\/12.22.2025%20ICON%20COUNT.pdf\">population of 23,498<\/a> on Dec. 22, including pending county jail transfers. That\u2019s a 1.7% uptick from December 2024, when <a href=\"https:\/\/oklahoma.gov\/content\/dam\/ok\/en\/doc\/documents\/population\/count-sheet\/2024\/ICON%20COUNT%2012.16.2024.pdf\">23,109 people<\/a> were under the agency\u2019s jurisdiction.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Oklahoma dropped its title of top incarcerator in the U.S. in 2019, when the Legislature made <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/Oklahoma_Reclassification_of_Some_Drug_and_Property_Crimes_as_Misdemeanors,_State_Question_780_(2016)\">State Question 780<\/a> retroactive and more than 500 people were released from prison in a single day. Delays in criminal proceedings prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to reductions in 2020 and 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Most states have experienced a post-pandemic rebound in imprisonment rates. From 2022 to 2023, state prison populations increased 2.5%, according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. <a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/01\/13\/oklahoma-maintains-nations-fourth-highest-imprisonment-rate\/\">That report<\/a> listed Oklahoma as having the nation\u2019s fourth-highest incarceration rate, trailing Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe title=\"Oklahoma's Prison Population, 2019-2025\" aria-label=\"Line chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-Urt1I\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/Urt1I\/2\/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"488\" data-external=\"1\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.addEventListener(\"message\",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";r.style.height=d}}});<\/script><\/p>\n\n\n<p>This year the Legislature <a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/05\/30\/oklahoma-enacts-fines-and-fees-reform-tougher-sentencing-laws\/\">shifted much of its focus<\/a> from criminal justice reform to toughening penalties for violent offenders. Several laws enacted in 2025 mandate additional prison time for certain crimes, including accessory to murder and shooting into a dwelling.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recent reform discussions have centered on the role of the Pardon and Parole Board to facilitate the release of aging prisoners, a population that\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/03\/24\/aging-prison-population-strains-corrections-budget\/\">costly to incarcerate and has more than doubled<\/a> since 2009.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While lawmakers updated the state\u2019s medical parole statute in 2021 with the goal of expanding eligibility, the statute has had an opposite effect, with just six medical paroles granted since 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Critics say resistance from the Department of Corrections is keeping some eligible candidates from receiving a medical parole hearing. The Pardon and Parole Board <a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/10\/21\/parole-board-seeks-binding-opinion-on-medical-parole-statute\/\">requested an attorney general\u2019s opinion<\/a> on the prison agency\u2019s role in the medical parole process in early October, which remains pending.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One measure filed ahead of the 2026 legislative session, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oklegislature.gov\/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=SB1244&amp;Session=2600\">Senate Bill 1244<\/a> by Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, would require the Pardon and Parole Board to recommend medical parole if evidence suggests a person does not pose a substantial public safety risk. It also authorizes the board to consider parole for older prisoners convicted of a violent or sexual offense.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Michael Olson, the policy counsel for Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, said prison admissions have remained flat despite the population increase. He said Oklahoma\u2019s abnormally long prison sentences are likely the main contributor.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Olson said allowing the parole board to consider more aging prisoner cases, as proposed in SB1244, could help alleviate population growth. The board would retain its discretion to consider the circumstances of the crime, and the governor would be required to sign off on release for violent offenders.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not like a get-out-of-jail-free card,\u201d Olson said. \u201cIt\u2019s just that when we look at public safety, you obviously have to balance it with the fiscal cost. And that\u2019s where this population of individuals is important, because they cost a lot more than everyone else and are less likely to reoffend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"771\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=771%2C771&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-700099\" style=\"width:193px;height:193px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=771%2C771&amp;ssl=1 771w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=336%2C336&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=140%2C140&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=200%2C200&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=706%2C706&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=100%2C100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?w=801&amp;ssl=1 801w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274-771x771.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Keaton Ross covers democracy and criminal justice for Oklahoma Watch. Contact him at (405) 831-9753 or <a href=\"mailto:Kross@Oklahomawatch.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kross@Oklahomawatch.org<\/a>.\u00a0Follow him on Twitter at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/_KeatonRoss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">@_KeatonRoss<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:17px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles is-style-default wpnbha is-grid columns-3 colgap-1 show-image image-aligntop ts-3 is-3 is-landscape is-style-default\" style=\"\">\n\t\t<div data-posts data-current-post-id=\"754011\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-section-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>MORE FROM keaton ross <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"754183\" class=\"tag-attorney-general-gentner-drummond tag-corrections-2 tag-criminal-justice tag-darcy-jech tag-department-of-corrections tag-james-havens tag-kyle-counts tag-medical-parole tag-oklahoma-news tag-oklahoma-pardon-and-parole-board tag-senate-bill-320 tag-tom-bates category-corrections category-criminaljustice type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2026\/01\/02\/attorney-general-only-the-doc-director-can-refer-prisoners-for-medical-parole\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-23-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"Attorney General: Only the DOC Director Can Refer Prisoners For Medical Parole\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-23-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-23-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-23-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-23-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-23-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-23-scaled.jpg?zoom=2&amp;resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 2400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-23-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2026\/01\/02\/attorney-general-only-the-doc-director-can-refer-prisoners-for-medical-parole\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Attorney General: Only the DOC Director Can Refer Prisoners For Medical Parole<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-01-02T06:01:00-06:00\">January 2, 2026<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2026-01-05T11:00:53-06:00\">January 5, 2026<\/time>\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"754011\" class=\"tag-criminal-justice tag-department-of-corrections tag-jails tag-medical-parole tag-michael-olson tag-oklahoma-legislature tag-oklahoma-news tag-oklahoma-pardon-and-parole-board tag-oklahomans-for-criminal-justice-reform tag-prisons tag-state-question-780 tag-state-sen-dave-rader category-corrections category-criminaljustice type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"Oklahoma\u2019s Prison Population Climbed in 2025\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?zoom=2&amp;resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 2400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Oklahoma\u2019s Prison Population Climbed in 2025<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-12-23T06:01:00-06:00\">December 23, 2025<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2025-12-26T09:48:59-06:00\">December 26, 2025<\/time>\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"753965\" class=\"tag-attorney-general-gentner-drummond tag-campaign-finance tag-elections tag-legislature tag-oklahoma-ethics-commission tag-oklahoma-news tag-transparency category-democracy category-democracy-democracy category-government category-publicmoney category-transparency type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/19\/oklahomas-campaign-finance-database-is-back-online\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TED_8259-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"Oklahoma\u2019s Campaign Finance Database is Back Online\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TED_8259-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TED_8259-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TED_8259-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TED_8259-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TED_8259-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TED_8259-scaled.jpg?zoom=2&amp;resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 2400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TED_8259-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw \/ 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw \/ 12)), 100vw\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/19\/oklahomas-campaign-finance-database-is-back-online\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Oklahoma\u2019s Campaign Finance Database is Back Online<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-12-19T13:30:00-06:00\">December 19, 2025<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2025-12-22T08:59:30-06:00\">December 22, 2025<\/time>\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following a pandemic-era decline, the state\u2019s prison population has ticked up every year since 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2625206,"featured_media":754012,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"gigafact_has_fact_brief":false,"gigafact_remote_fact_brief_post_id":0,"gigafact_remote_sync_timestamp":"","gigafact_remote_sync_status":"","gigafact_remote_sync_response":"","gigafact_has_been_published":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"everlit_article_id":"artl_1PXy4HWwyOQ","everlit_hide_embed":false,"everlit_embed_size":"","everlit_generation_settings":{"primary_voice":"65","guest_voice":"48","default_sonic_optimization":false,"default_conversation_mode":false,"default_read_alt_text":false,"default_read_urls":false,"default_read_author_byline":false,"default_publication":"pblc_lV8RK9ULW4x","language":"en-US","intro_mixable":3,"outro_mixable":3,"intro_duration":15,"outro_duration":15,"intro_padding":3,"outro_padding":4,"default_skip_article_image":false,"skip_auto_generation":false,"disable_music":false,"disclaimer":"","disclaimer_voice":"","is_for_subscriber":false,"embed_ui_cover_art":true,"embed_ui_title_intro":"","embed_ui_title_icon":""},"_everlit_article_id":"","_everlit_hide_embed":false,"_everlit_embed_size":"","_everlit_generation_settings":[],"_everlit_content_hash":"","_everlit_metadata_hash":"f3108bd253b9d2d485eee747850cd6f3","_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[55,37],"tags":[376,18896,506,10078,21563,470,556,8581,10081,133,8364,8306],"series":[],"coauthors":[2919],"class_list":["post-754011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-corrections","category-criminaljustice","tag-criminal-justice","tag-department-of-corrections","tag-jails","tag-medical-parole","tag-michael-olson","tag-oklahoma-legislature","tag-oklahoma-news","tag-oklahoma-pardon-and-parole-board","tag-oklahomans-for-criminal-justice-reform","tag-prisons","tag-state-question-780","tag-state-sen-dave-rader","entry"],"fact_brief":null,"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Oklahoma&#039;s Prison Population Climbed in 2025 - Oklahoma Watch<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Oklahoma&#039;s Prison Population Climbed in 2025 - Oklahoma Watch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Following a pandemic-era decline, the state\u2019s prison population has ticked up every year since 2023.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Oklahoma Watch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OklahomaWatch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-23T12:01:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-26T15:48:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1706\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Keaton Ross\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@_KeatonRoss\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@OklahomaWatch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Keaton Ross\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Keaton Ross\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#\/schema\/person\/41c8bb012be003aa79930999d2a32ca0\"},\"headline\":\"Oklahoma&#8217;s Prison Population Climbed in 2025\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-23T12:01:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-26T15:48:59+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/\"},\"wordCount\":494,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"criminal justice\",\"Department of Corrections\",\"jails\",\"medical parole\",\"Michael Olson\",\"Oklahoma Legislature\",\"Oklahoma news\",\"Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board\",\"Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform\",\"Prisons\",\"State Question 780\",\"State Sen. Dave Rader\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Corrections\",\"Criminal Justice\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/\",\"name\":\"Oklahoma's Prison Population Climbed in 2025 - Oklahoma Watch\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-23T12:01:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-26T15:48:59+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1706,\"caption\":\"An inmate at the Joseph Harp Correctional Center in Lexington works on Oct. 10, 2024. (Brent Fuchs\/Oklahoma Watch)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Oklahoma&#8217;s Prison Population Climbed in 2025\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/\",\"name\":\"Oklahoma Watch\",\"description\":\"No Favorites No Falsehoods No Fear\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Oklahoma Watch\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/2023-Oklahoma-Watch-Black.png?fit=1878%2C381&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/2023-Oklahoma-Watch-Black.png?fit=1878%2C381&ssl=1\",\"width\":1878,\"height\":381,\"caption\":\"Oklahoma Watch\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OklahomaWatch\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/OklahomaWatch\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/oklahoma_watch\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/10175470\/admin\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#\/schema\/person\/41c8bb012be003aa79930999d2a32ca0\",\"name\":\"Keaton Ross\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/3ba4631e743331a28e604d1278b6695e\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Keaton-250x-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Keaton-250x-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Keaton Ross\"},\"description\":\"Keaton Ross is a Report for America corps member who covers democracy for Oklahoma Watch. Contact him at (405) 831-9753 or Kross@Oklahomawatch.org. Follow him on Twitter at @_KeatonRoss\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.oklahomawatch.org\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/_KeatonRoss\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/author\/krossoklahomawatch-org\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Oklahoma's Prison Population Climbed in 2025 - Oklahoma Watch","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Oklahoma's Prison Population Climbed in 2025 - Oklahoma Watch","og_description":"Following a pandemic-era decline, the state\u2019s prison population has ticked up every year since 2023.","og_url":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/","og_site_name":"Oklahoma Watch","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OklahomaWatch","article_published_time":"2025-12-23T12:01:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-12-26T15:48:59+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1706,"url":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Keaton Ross","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@_KeatonRoss","twitter_site":"@OklahomaWatch","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Keaton Ross","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/"},"author":{"name":"Keaton Ross","@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#\/schema\/person\/41c8bb012be003aa79930999d2a32ca0"},"headline":"Oklahoma&#8217;s Prison Population Climbed in 2025","datePublished":"2025-12-23T12:01:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-26T15:48:59+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/"},"wordCount":494,"commentCount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1","keywords":["criminal justice","Department of Corrections","jails","medical parole","Michael Olson","Oklahoma Legislature","Oklahoma news","Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board","Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform","Prisons","State Question 780","State Sen. Dave Rader"],"articleSection":["Corrections","Criminal Justice"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/","url":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/","name":"Oklahoma's Prison Population Climbed in 2025 - Oklahoma Watch","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1","datePublished":"2025-12-23T12:01:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-12-26T15:48:59+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1","width":2560,"height":1706,"caption":"An inmate at the Joseph Harp Correctional Center in Lexington works on Oct. 10, 2024. (Brent Fuchs\/Oklahoma Watch)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Oklahoma&#8217;s Prison Population Climbed in 2025"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/","name":"Oklahoma Watch","description":"No Favorites No Falsehoods No Fear","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#organization","name":"Oklahoma Watch","url":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/2023-Oklahoma-Watch-Black.png?fit=1878%2C381&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/2023-Oklahoma-Watch-Black.png?fit=1878%2C381&ssl=1","width":1878,"height":381,"caption":"Oklahoma Watch"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OklahomaWatch","https:\/\/x.com\/OklahomaWatch","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/oklahoma_watch\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/10175470\/admin\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#\/schema\/person\/41c8bb012be003aa79930999d2a32ca0","name":"Keaton Ross","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/3ba4631e743331a28e604d1278b6695e","url":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Keaton-250x-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Keaton-250x-96x96.jpg","caption":"Keaton Ross"},"description":"Keaton Ross is a Report for America corps member who covers democracy for Oklahoma Watch. Contact him at (405) 831-9753 or Kross@Oklahomawatch.org. Follow him on Twitter at @_KeatonRoss","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.oklahomawatch.org","https:\/\/x.com\/_KeatonRoss"],"url":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/author\/krossoklahomawatch-org\/"}]}},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Oklahoma&#8217;s Prison Population Climbed in 2025","url":"http:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?resize=140%2C140&ssl=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1"},"articleSection":"Corrections","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Keaton Ross"}],"creator":["Keaton Ross"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Oklahoma Watch","logo":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/okwatch-logo-1.png"},"keywords":["criminal justice","department of corrections","jails","medical parole","michael olson","oklahoma legislature","oklahoma news","oklahoma pardon and parole board","oklahomans for criminal justice reform","prisons","state question 780","state sen. dave rader"],"dateCreated":"2025-12-23T12:01:00Z","datePublished":"2025-12-23T12:01:00Z","dateModified":"2025-12-26T15:48:59Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Oklahoma&#8217;s Prison Population Climbed in 2025\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/oklahomawatch.org\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/23\\\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/oklahomawatch.org\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/23\\\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/oklahomawatch.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?resize=140%2C140&ssl=1\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/oklahomawatch.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1\"},\"articleSection\":\"Corrections\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Keaton Ross\"}],\"creator\":[\"Keaton Ross\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Oklahoma Watch\",\"logo\":\"https:\\\/\\\/oklahomawatch.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/10\\\/okwatch-logo-1.png\"},\"keywords\":[\"criminal justice\",\"department of corrections\",\"jails\",\"medical parole\",\"michael olson\",\"oklahoma legislature\",\"oklahoma news\",\"oklahoma pardon and parole board\",\"oklahomans for criminal justice reform\",\"prisons\",\"state question 780\",\"state sen. dave rader\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2025-12-23T12:01:00Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-23T12:01:00Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-26T15:48:59Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/oklahomawatch.org\/p.js"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1706&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"author_name":"Keaton Ross","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/754011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2625206"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=754011"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/754011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":754072,"href":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/754011\/revisions\/754072"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/754012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=754011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=754011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=754011"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=754011"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=754011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}