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Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
For Immediate Release: February 17, 2010
Sen. Harry Coates
Full Senate Next Stop for Smart on Crime Measure
A measure supporters say will reduce recidivism and
help more Oklahomans pursue better employment opportunities is awaiting
consideration by the full Senate. The legislation, Senate Bill 2070,
is authored by Business and Labor Chairman Harry
Coates. The Seminole Republican said the bill was suggested
by an Oklahoma City-based nonprofit organization, The Education
and Employment Ministry (TEEM), which works to help former inmates
reenter society. SB 2070 won committee approval on Monday.
“We have dozens of occupations in Oklahoma for which an individual
must be licensed by the state, whether they want to be an architect,
an occupational therapist or an audiologist. The problem is, a person
who has been convicted of a felony is barred from being licensed,
no matter what the crime was,” Coates explained. “Senate
Bill 2070 would enable an individual to pursue a license as long
as the crime they were convicted of is not related to that occupation.”
Tony Zahn is the Executive Director of TEEM. He believes SB 2070
will help guide more people into productive roles in society, and
result in fewer former inmates returning to crime and to prison.
“If I can’t get a job for a trade that I am trained
for, what are my alternatives? One of the big reasons for recidivism
is not having a job that pays a living wage,” Zahn said. “This
legislation removes the barrier to successful reentry into society.”
According to data from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation,
8.2 percent of Oklahomans have been convicted of a felony. Coates
said the legislation is a common sense approach to dealing with
individuals who have already paid their debt to society, and now
want to become productive members of their community.
“The saying is true—it isn’t enough to just be
tough on crime. We have to be smart on crime, too,” Coates
said. “These are individuals who have been held accountable
for their actions—we just want to make sure that once they’ve
done their time, we’re not putting up road blocks that could
force them back down the wrong road.”
For more information contact:
Sen. Coates: 405-521-5547
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