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Oklahoma Legislature For Immediate Release: January 17, 2008 Senate Co-President and House Speaker Pro Tem
File Bill to In an effort to improve efficiency and accountability at the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center (CJRC), State Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee and House Speaker Pro Tem Gus Blackwell have filed legislation to move the CJRC out of the Legislative Service Bureau and reassign its functions and staff to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) and the Attorney General. Blackwell, R-Goodwell, also serves as chairman of the Oklahoma Sentencing Commission. Senate Bill 1698 would send most of the Resource Center’s functions and employees to the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), including the Resource Center’s statistics and research division and the Offender Data Information System (ODIS) that provides computer equipment and software to local law enforcement. The bill creates an Office of Criminal Justice Statistics at the OSBI. CJRC’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board duties and staff would be reassigned to the Attorney General’s office. “Moving the statistical and research functions of the Criminal Justice Resource Center to OSBI will help improve the overall efficiency and accountability of the Resource Center,” stated Coffee, R-Oklahoma City. “OSBI is Oklahoma’s elite law enforcement agency, and it has decades of experience collecting and disseminating statistics on crime, so merging CJRC with OSBI seems like a natural fit as the Legislature looks for ways to streamline government.” “As the Sentencing Commission chair, I have observed first hand the excellent work of the CJRC staff. I am excited to see their expertise combined with OSBI’s history of excellence at fighting crime and promoting public safety,” Blackwell said. Coffee and Blackwell said they view a merger with OSBI as the best way to accomplish the recommendations about CJRC that were included in MGT of America, Inc.’s performance audit of the state corrections system. Blackwell and Coffee said they are hopeful their legislation will receive bipartisan support in the Legislature. For more information contact: |