Oklahoma now has the highest incarceration rate in the world, reports to The Tulsa World.
According to a new study, Oklahoma recently overtook Louisiana as the state with the highest per capita number of citizens in prison.
Having the highest incarceration rate in the United States means that Oklahoma also attains the dubious distinction of leading the world in imprisonments. Oklahoma currently imprisons one out of every 100 people in the state, with each incarceration costing state taxpayers $19,000 per year.
Kris Steele, chair for Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, noted that it would only cost between $2,000 and $6,000 per year per person for rehabilitation or mental health treatment. Steele said he thinks the Department of Corrections is doing the best they can, but the state is at this point simply “warehousing individuals.” He added, “That’s a recipe for disaster.”
