Justice Reform Advocates to host series of Town Hall events with community leaders

Long-time criminal justice reform and human rights activist Mark Faulk will hold a series of town hall events across District 1 in Oklahoma County. Each event will feature community leaders from various county communities and school districts.

Faulk, one of the founders of People’s Council for Justice Reform and a candidate for District 1 County Commissioner, has attended county commissioners’ and jail trust meetings. He believes the county needs to reprioritize its goals to focus on long term solutions that lower incarceration and free up valuable resources for infrastructure, roads, bridges, and projects that enhance District 1 and all of Oklahoma County, giving families and businesses the opportunity to succeed.

“As we speak with residents throughout the district, one of the main concerns we hear from both constituents and elected officials in the various municipalities is that they have not been included in major decisions that affect their cities and school districts, including the new jail location and a proposed sales tax to cover the shortfall needed to build it. In fact, their concerns are often completely ignored, with commissioners making and breaking promises on a regular basis. The goal of these town hall meetings is to give residents of District 1 a voice in shaping the future of their own county.”

The four town hall meetings will be themed as “We Need to Talk”, highlighting specific concerns of each geographic area, and will be held at public libraries throughout District 1:

We Need to Talk About the County Jail - April 16, 5:30-7:00 PM

The Village Library, Rm. A - (with Village and Oklahoma community leader Sean Cummings)

We Need to Talk the Jail Tax - April 30, 5:30-7:00 PM

Del City Library, Rm. B (with Midwest City Councilwoman Sara Bana and veteran teacher and local teachers' union president Nadine Gallagher)

We Need to Talk About the Billion Dollar Jail Tax - May 14, 5:30-7:00 PM

Ralph Ellison Library, Rm. B (to be announced)

We Need to Talk About Homelessness, Mental Health, and the County Jail - May 21, 6:00-7:30 PM

Belle Isle Library, Rm. B (to be announced)

Faulk has been an outspoken critic of the jail trust and the lack of a cohesive plan for the new jail for over five years, and is the only candidate who, along with other People’s Council advocates, opposed the 2022 $260 million bond issue, correctly asserting that the total jail bill would approach a billion dollars. Faulk fought against locating the proposed jail in close proximity to Crooked Oak School District and near residential and business areas of Del City. He also opposes raising taxes again to build a larger jail, preferring an approach that works to reduce the current jail population through restorative justice programs to alleviate homelessness, treat mental health and addiction, and promote cite and release and bail reform for low level, nonviolent offenders.

According to Faulk, “Then, and only then, we can have a serious discussion about whether we need to build a smaller, more affordable jail.”

Attendees are invited to bring their concerns and questions to the forums, and are welcome to attend multiple forums.