House Approves Increased Penalties for Domestic Violence by Strangulation

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The Oklahoma House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill that would add domestic violence by strangulation to the list of crimes requiring a person to serve 85% of a prison sentence before being eligible for parole consideration. The legislation, authored by Rep. John George, R-Newalla, aims to strengthen penalties for this type of aggravated assault, which research shows can be deadly and have long-term physical effects on victims.

Why it matters

Domestic violence by strangulation is one of the most common and fatal forms of intimate partner abuse, yet perpetrators often only serve about a third of any sentence imposed. This bill seeks to address Oklahoma's high ranking among states for women murdered by men in single-victim, single-offender homicides by ensuring harsher punishments for this type of violent crime.

The details

House Bill 3264 would prohibit those convicted of domestic violence by strangulation from being eligible to receive earned credits toward reducing the length of their sentence to less than 85%. Rep. George stated that 'strangling an intimate partner is among the most horrific acts of violence and can all too often be deadly,' noting that victims can lose consciousness in less than 10 seconds and die within minutes. Even if a person survives being strangled, there are serious short- and long-term physical effects.

• The House passed the bill this week in a unanimous vote.
• The bill has been engrossed to the Senate, where it is authored by Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The bill has been sent to the Oklahoma Senate, where Sen. Kristen Thompson will sponsor it. If passed by the Senate and signed into law, the increased penalties for domestic violence by strangulation would go into effect.