The Oklahoma House has shot down a bill to allow criminals to begin earning credits for good behavior earlier in their sentence after a lawmaker warned that a vote on the bill would be seen as being "soft on crime."
The House voted 62-29 on Thursday against the bill by Slaughterville Republican Rep. Bobby Cleveland that was requested by Oklahoma's prison guards. The bill would have allowed inmates who are sentenced to prison for one of the 85 percent crimes to begin earning good-time credits immediately. Under current law, inmates first serve 85 percent of their sentence before becoming eligible for the credits.
But Chickasha Republican Rep. Scott Biggs, a former prosecutor, described the bill as being "soft on crime" and urged its defeat.
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