The measure has provided amendment to the existing Oklahoma laws.
Amendment
It will thus, include the drug possession and property crime from felony to misdemeanor.
It would, make possession of even a limited quantity of drugs as misdemeanor.
It would, in turn, enhance the threshold dollar amount used for determining the aspect that a particular crime is a felony or misdemeanor.
Presently the threshold is $500. With the amendment this increases to $1000.
How has the impact been possible?
- State Question 780 altered the non violent drug and theft related crimes from felonies to misdemeanors.
- The latter, however, comes with a maximum penalty of 1 year in prison. It is always associated with a fine of $1000.
- It will thus be reducing the number and duration of state prison sentences for the crimes.
- State Question 780 and State Question 781 are associated.
- SQ 781 depends on SQ 780.
- State Question 780 has again classified certain crimes as misdemeanors. There has also been pursued the saving of the state person system money by decreasing the number and duration of incarcerations.
- Now, Question 781 was fabricated to fund rehabilitation of criminals by redistributing the money saved from the reduced prison cost to counties.
- So, in a nutshell the State Question 781 went into implementation after the approval of State Question 780.
- If there was no State Question 780 prison cost allocated, the State Question 781 would not have existed.
Which crimes are inculcated in misdemeanors?
State Question 780 made drug possession a misdemeanor. However, later this measure has started to inculcate drug manufacturing, trafficking and selling as the felony offenses.
