We hope they’re right, because SQ 805 is an idea whose time has come.

The initiative petition would change state law to prevent longer sentences for people on the basis of past nonviolent offenses. It wouldn’t affect prison time for anyone who has ever been convicted of a violent crime.

Qualifying for the ballot would be a remarkable achievement. SQ 805 has been running uphill from the beginning. A pandemic and economic collapse complicated the petition process enormously.

The effort was further hamstrung by the resistance of the Gov. Kevin Stitt administration. First the measure was scheduled for circulation beginning the day after Christmas, and then the state refused to process completed petitions because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state Supreme Court eventually ordered the state to process the petitions. The same court now has found that SQ 805’s nearly 250,000 signatures were sufficient for a ballot position.

At one point, we thought SQ 805 was dead, and we were wrong. We’re going to try not to declare it on the ballot prematurely, too. We’ll all know for sure that it’s headed to a ballot when Stitt orders it put on a ballot.

We hope that day comes soon and that the voters of Oklahoma eventually approve the proposal. It’s a good and moderate change that will help the state stop bankrupting itself through mass incarceration of people who aren’t threats to society.

Oklahoma has the second highest incarceration rate in the world, the highest for women. Oklahomans convicted of property crimes spend 70% longer behind bars than the national average. For drug convictions, it’s 79% longer.

Hardened and dangerous criminals belong in prison. There will be more room for them behind bars and they can be held longer if the state stops filling prisons with people who need drug or mental health treatment or job training before being put back to work, supporting their families.

That’s the logic behind SQ 805, which we hope will be coming to a ballot near you soon.

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