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More than 450 Oklahoma inmates were released on November 4, which became the largest single-day commutation in U.S. history. The massive release came after inmates’ sentences were retroactively reclassified as misdemeanors due to the passage of House Bill 1269. Why It Matters Prior to the massive commutation, Oklahoma led the country in incarcerations; it now stands at 49th. In 2016, Oklahomans voted to support State Questions 780 and 781, which reclassified simple drug possession as a misdemeanor and increased the felony dollar threshold from $500 to $1000 for felony property crimes. In 2019, House Bill 1269 made SQ 780 retroactive, therefore allowing hundreds of incarcerated Oklahomans the chance to regain their freedom. “This...
