OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.–A bill that would make college access easier for Oklahomans with criminal records has passed a state House committee and moves one step closer to a full House vote.
Oklahoma House Bill 1980 would prohibit state colleges and universities from asking about an applicant’s criminal history if the applicant plans to attend virtually and won’t reside on campus. The measure would also prohibit higher education institutions from asking about an applicant’s behavioral conduct as a juvenile.
Campuses that violate this proposed law would be subject to fines, a loss of state funding or other penalties, according to the bill’s text.
The bipartisan bill was authored by third-term state Rep. Trish Ranson (D-Stillwater) and state Senator Jack Stewart (R-Yukon). The bill faced its first major hurdle on Feb. 11, when the Oklahoma House Postsecondary Education Committee voted 6-2 to send it to the House floor.
In a Republican-dominated state, the two Democrats in the committee, Rep. Trish Ranson and newly elected Rep. Michelle McCane (D-Tulsa), joined four Republicans to support the bill. The only two no-votes came from Rep. Steve Bashore (R-Miami) and Rep. Max Wolfley (R-Oklahoma City).
The bill to ease college access for people with criminal records must pass the the House Education Oversight Committee by Friday, March 7, in order to be eligible for a full vote on the House floor.
(Notably, some websites have incorrectly listed newly elected Rep. Ron Stewart (D-Tulsa) as a co-sponsor, but the Black Wall Street Times confirmed with a legislative assistant that the co-sponsor is Sen. Jack Stewart.)
College access and criminal history: By the numbers
D’Marria Monday is a well-known criminal justice advocate, community organizer, local radio show host, and entrepreneur in Tulsa. She’s also an Oklahoman with a felony conviction. She supports HB 1980.
“I believe it is what we need, what Oklahoma needs, because it gives people a fair chance to higher education. Higher education creates a pathway to the future,” Monday told the Black Wall Street Times.
“I had a 120-month sentence in federal prison for a drug charge. And when I went to prison, all I had was a GED,” she said.
Roughly 40% of state prisoners and roughly 47% of prisoners in local jails had not obtained a high school diploma, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Meanwhile, 60%-80% percent of private colleges and 55% of public institutions require applicants to answer questions about their criminal histories, according to a report from Brookings.
HB 1980, Oklahoma’s proposed bill, would prohibit that requirement.
“It invests in people, and it invests in opportunities. Those barriers to opportunity keeps people stuck in a cycle of poverty. When you’re stuck in a cycle of poverty, you’re more likely to return to survival tactics that landed you in prison in the first place,” Monday said.
Giving people with criminal histories access to higher education reduces recidivism and increases employment, according to a report from the Vera Institute.
“But I also know the hardship of what it’s like to not have a degree and to rely on a life of crime. Now, I’ve been able to come home and lift myself out of poverty and my family.”
Her mission now is to create opportunities for others. She hopes lawmakers will support her efforts by passing HB 1980 and pursuing criminal justice reform in Oklahoma colleges and universities.
“I’ve been home now for 12 years, and I don’t plan on going back,” she said. “But I’m only one of many.”
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