Statewide participation in a county-level mental health and substance abuse program is growing, but more than 40% of counties still haven’t applied for a share of the money. 

The Oklahoma Policy Institute, Healthy Minds Policy Initiative and Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform issued a joint report on the status of the County Community Safety Investment Fund on Aug. 8. The fund, aimed at allocating savings from reduced incarceration rates to support local diversion programs, was created via State Question 781 in 2016. 

However, it took the Legislature seven years to settle on a formula to calculate and allocate the savings. Since 2023, more than $25 million has been allocated to the fund. 

Forty-four of Oklahoma’s 77 counties have applied for a share of the money thus far, according to the report, up from 36 when Oklahoma Watch reported on the issue in July 2024. Several of the participating counties have decided to use the money to fund treatment courts or reentry services from jails. 

“The long-term impact of these investments will extend beyond the justice system, fostering safer communities, a stronger workforce, and a more resilient state economy,” the report reads.  “As counties implement these programs, Oklahoma has the opportunity to serve as a model for how data-driven, community-based approaches can create lasting public safety improvements without relying on mass incarceration.”

To incentivize more rural counties to apply, this year the Legislature enacted Senate Bill 251, which sets a minimum annual funding allocation of $62,500 per county. Some of the most sparsely populated counties were allocated less than $15,000 under the previous formula. The bill took effect on July 1. 

“If you or I had the opportunity for $7,000, that looks a lot different,” Brittany Hayes, the policy director at Healthy Minds Policy Initiative, told Oklahoma Watch in March. “For a county to invest time in the application and reporting, it really has to be worth their while.” 

Have thoughts or questions on this issue, or an unrelated story idea you think Oklahoma Watch should cover? Let me know at Kross@Oklahomawatch.org.

— Keaton Ross

Recommended Reading

• Clinton remembers former Oklahoma governor as a man who put people first: Former President Bill Clinton praised Nigh for his uplifting leadership, saying he approached others “with an outstretched hand, not a clenched fist.” He also Nigh’s ability to remain positive and principled throughout his long career. [Oklahoma Voice]
• Some Oklahoma towns still ticket tribal citizens in violation of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling: Five years after the McGirt decision designated much of eastern Oklahoma as Indian Country, towns like Bixby and Henryetta continue to issue traffic citations to tribal citizens. Meanwhile, Tulsa has made headway by dismissing over 400 cases and striking an agreement with the Muscogee Nation to handle such traffic matters through tribal courts. [The Frontier]
• Google announces a new $9 billion cloud and AI investment in Oklahoma: The company’s plans include building a new data center in Stillwater and enlarging an existing facility in Pryor. The announcement also included commitments to fund education and workforce development programs. [KOSU]

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