Oklahoma State Senate
Republican Floor Leader
Senator Glenn Coffee
State Capitol Room 531
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
(405) 521-5636

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For Immediate Release: October 17, 2005


Senator Glenn Coffee

Sen. Corn Playing Politics with Prison Escape, Ignoring Democrats’ Responsibility

Senate Republican Leader Glenn Coffee said Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, is seeking to politicize a prison escape – while ignoring his own party’s responsibility for the current state of Oklahoma’s prisons.

“Sen. Corn’s Democrat party has controlled the Oklahoma Senate for nearly 100 years – and they have deliberately under-funded Oklahoma prisons for as long as anyone can remember,” stated Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. “The problem with prison funding did not occur overnight – and there is no overnight fix. It could take Republicans in the Legislature many years to fix the problems that Senate Democrats have created in the prison system.”

Coffee called on Corn to stop playing politics and work with Republicans to properly fund prisons.

“Instead of grandstanding and trying to politicize a prison escape, my hope would be that Sen. Corn would show some maturity and tone down his rhetoric. I wish he would work with Republicans to fix the mess that Senate Democrats have made of prison funding,” Coffee said.