COVID-19 relief was meant to give a lifeline to hospitals, especially the small, rural facilities that struggled to stay open before 2020. But in states like Oklahoma, problems created by confusing guidelines could cause harm long after the pandemic.
Rural emergency responders say hospitals in Tulsa, Lawton and Oklahoma City are filling with patients.
The Frontier’s reporting on COVID-19 in Oklahoma prisons wouldn’t be possible without support from our readers.
Efforts to shorten prison sentences and roll back the use of sentence enhancements have so far been blocked by state district attorneys.
Oklahoma voters soundly defeated a measure that would have made major changes to the state’s criminal justice system. A measure that would have funded part of the state’s Medicaid expansion also fell short.
Rural communities desperate to save their hospitals are turning to for-profit companies for help, but many fail to deliver on lofty promises and leave them with more debt.
Photographs of prison meals show lots of starches and few fresh fruits and vegetables.
As the coronavirus spreads through state prisons, Oklahoma has few options for early release.
