OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Dozens of Oklahoma inmates have been granted parole since the process was streamlined last year to reduce state prison costs.
The Oklahoman reports that the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board agreed to discharge all but a few of the 73 nonviolent offenders registered on the state's new administrative parole docket.
Under the 2018 law , the inmates must serve at least one-fourth of their sentence and follow standards of their parole.
A House of Representatives analysis estimates administrative parole will save around 3,750 prison beds, and roughly $16.7 million per year once fully implemented.
The five-member board will alert the state Department of Corrections of those granted parole. Those authorized should be paroled within weeks.
The decision comes despite Oklahoma's top prosecutors resisting efforts for more prison alternatives.