Oklahoma Administrative Code › Title 1 - EXECUTIVE ORDERS › Section 1:2016-3

Current through Vol. 41, No. 20, July 1, 2024
One in 12 Oklahomans is a convicted felon. Currently, over
			 55,000 Oklahomans are in the custody or under the supervision of the Oklahoma
			 Department of Corrections for a felony offense, the majority of whom will
			 eventually be released back into our community. The majority of these
			 individuals are incarcerated or on probation for non-violent felony crimes. In
			 2015, I issued Executive Order 2015-02, which created the Oklahoma Justice
			 Reform Steering Committee. From that Committee grew four subcommittees,
			 comprised of over 40 professionals involved in criminal justice, corrections,
			 mental health, substance abuse, and re-entry services. Those subcommittees
			 provided many recommendations, including the recommendation to remove the
			 question regarding previous felony convictions and criminal history from all
			 state job applications.
Employment after a felony conviction is always a challenge, and
			 an individual's ability to gain employment is a critical and necessary
			 component to reducing recidivism and for those individuals to lead a productive
			 and successful life. Thus, it is necessary to remove unnecessary barriers to
			 employment for Oklahomans with felony convictions. State employment hiring
			 policies should allow full and fair consideration of those with a criminal
			 history, where appropriate.
Therefore, I, Mary Fallin, Governor of the State of Oklahoma, by
			 the authority vested in me pursuant to Sections 1 and 2 of Article VI of the
			 Oklahoma Constitution, hereby direct and order all state agencies to remove
			 from job applications, questions regarding convictions and criminal history,
			 unless a felony conviction would automatically render an applicant not
			 qualified. This Order does not prevent employers from inquiring of felony
			 convictions during the interview process, does not prevent employers from
			 conducting background checks into prospective employees, and does not prevent
			 employers from excluding convicted felons when required by law. This order
			 shall not affect applications for sensitive governmental positions in which a
			 criminal history would be an immediate disqualification and initial disclosure
			 on such applications shall still be required.
This Order is intended to provide state job applicants at least
			 the initial opportunity for consideration for employment, an opportunity to
			 discuss their conviction record and provide information that indicates
			 rehabilitation, and allow applicants to be considered based upon their
			 qualifications without the stigma of a conviction record.
Copies of this Executive Order shall be distributed to all
			 Governor's Cabinet Secretaries who shall cause the provisions of this order to
			 be implemented by all appropriate agencies of state government.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand and caused the Great Seal
			 of the State of Oklahoma to be affixed at Oklahoma City, this the 24th day of
			 February, 2016.
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA
Mary Fallin
ATTEST:
Chris Benge
Secretary of State