Sen. Treat honored by Innocence Project for criminal justice legislation

OKLAHOMA CITY – Sen. Greg Treat was honored Thursday by the Innocence Project for authoring several criminal justice reforms this session.

“I’m humbled to have been recognized by the Innocence Project,” said Treat, R-Oklahoma City. “These bills will help lower incarceration rates and prison costs while still holding offenders accountable for their crimes and preserving public safety. These will also ensure that once nonviolent offenders pay their debt to society that they can go on with their lives, find employment and become productive taxpaying citizens."

This session, Treat served as the Senate author of three major criminal justice reforms that were recommended by the Governor’s Oklahoma Justice Reform Committee.

HB 2472 allows prosecutors to decide whether to file misdemeanor charges rather than felony charges for non-85 percent crimes.

HB 2479 reduces the minimum mandatory punishment for drug offenders charged only with possession.

HB 2751 raises the threshold for property crimes to be charged as a felony to $1,000.