OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Tony Burris is a convicted drug vendor who is predicted to be launched from federal jail subsequent 12 months.
KFOR’s Ali Meyer has been wanting into Burris’ case for a number of months.
His highway to freedom has been clouded with confusion.
Incarceration in Oklahoma is dear.
In keeping with the Secretary of Public Security, Oklahoma spends $21,280 per inmate in FY2020.
The whole value of incarceration for FY2020 was $524,989,500, which doesn’t embody Probation and Parole, Jail Backup, Group Sentencing or Jail Industries.
Tony Burris’ story is the story of 1 man’s highway to freedom; it’s also a cautionary story about taxpayer waste.
In 2004, Burris pleaded responsible to drug crimes in district and federal court docket.
He didn’t push for trial. He admitted his function in six felonies in Oklahoma County and 12 federal crimes.
“Tony was a drug vendor, and Tony obtained caught promoting medication and dealing medication,” mentioned Burris’ protection lawyer, Billy Bock, who represented Burris on the state prices.
Burris was sentenced to twenty years behind bars for the federal crimes, plus 30 years for the state crimes.
The sentences have been to run concurrently, concurrently his federal sentence.
Burris has been serving his time in a federal penitentiary in Fort Price, Texas.
Final 12 months, Tony Burris was paroled in absentia.
The Oklahoma State Board of Pardon and Parole dominated unanimously 5-0 in his favor.
In absentia parole is a particular parole course of for Oklahoma inmates who can’t be current for his or her parole listening to.
Burris wasn’t current as a result of he was in federal jail in Texas.
“He has served his time,” Bock mentioned. “It is time to let him go. Flip the chapter from one chapter to the following and let him have a brand new starting.”
So, think about Burris’ shock earlier this 12 months when his case employee on the Bureau of Prisons notified him that upon his launch from federal jail he could be despatched again to his county of conviction, to the Oklahoma County Detention Heart.
Burris was instructed he could be incarcerated on the Oklahoma County Jail till the Division of Corrections transported him to Lexington State Jail to be processed.
“I simply do not perceive why I must go to the Division of Corrections and be processed once I already made parole,” mentioned Burris by cellphone. “So, I am feeling fairly down. It is only a sharp blow within the intestine to really feel like after I do (sic) all my time, I nonetheless cannot get out.”
In keeping with the Division of Corrections, processing takes three to 5 day beneath regular circumstances.
Unofficially, some with data of the system say it takes weeks and even months.
“Loads goes into processing an inmate and into taking accountability for one among our Oklahoma residents,” mentioned Division of Corrections spokesperson, Justin Wolf. “(Inmates) undergo an entire medical workup, a psychological workup. They undergo a degree of service stock which is our validated instrument to measure their case wants after they’re in our custody.”
Why would the state think about losing taxpayer {dollars} transporting and housing and processing an inmate who has already been paroled?
“All that to course of him to say, ‘Okay, you’ve got already served your time. We have got to kick you out of right here,'” mentioned Bock. “It is only a huge ole waste.”
Information 4 began asking questions on April 27, 2023, in an electronic mail to the Division of Corrections (DOC).
DOC despatched us to Oklahoma County, the place we inquired with the Oklahoma County Jail, Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Workplace and Oklahoma County District Legal professional’s Workplace.
Information 4 was supplied the Justice and Sentencing paperwork for Tony Burris, however no rationalization about why the detainers have been in place for a paroled inmate who had no excellent charges to the court docket.
These detainers have been significantly necessary for Tony Burris as a result of they have been the one impediment for him to maneuver right into a neighborhood sentencing part of his federal incarceration.
In keeping with lawyer Billy Bock, these detainers have been “pink flags” on Burris’ incarceration document.
Information 4’s Ali Meyer reached out to Pardon and Parole Board Director, Tom Bates, who despatched the next assertion:
In-Absentia parole is a consideration for parole given to these offenders who’re being held for Oklahoma convictions in one other state jurisdiction or within the federal system. Eligibility relies on statute and assembly minimal service necessities, and the applying is out there on the Pardon and Parole Board web site.
Tony L. Burris utilized for in-absentia parole in August of 2023 and acquired a 5-0 vote granting parole on the Board’s November 2023 assembly, with an efficient date of December 8, 2023. Parole was granted on 4 Oklahoma County circumstances and the parole certificates is out there on the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s web site.
TOM BATES, PARDON AND PAROLE BOARD DIRECTOR
Seven months after Burris’ parole, Oklahoma County nonetheless had not launched the detainers.
In Could, Information 4 reached out to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Secretary of Public Security.
Tricia Everest defined, the confusion on Tony Burris’ case could stem from a change in coverage for parole in absentia.
The change went into impact in November of 2023, the identical month the Pardon and Parole Board voted to parole Tony Burris.
In keeping with the coverage supplied by Everest, DOC is now required to tell the county of conviction about any inmates who’re granted parole in absentia.
It’s the accountability of the county of conviction to launch the detainers.
“We’re doing it the best way it must be accomplished as a result of these are the type of efficiencies we’re at all times striving for right here on the division of corrections,” mentioned Wolf.
The Division of Corrections was fast to level the effectivity of the brand new coverage, there was little rationalization concerning the delay.
Ali Meyer’s first electronic mail to DOC was despatched April 27, which was greater than 4 months after Burris’ parole.
In keeping with DOC information, the company notified Oklahoma County concerning the parole in absentia by electronic mail on April 30 and by cellphone “a couple of days earlier than.”
Regardless of being knowledgeable about Burris’ parole, Oklahoma County didn’t launch the detainers till greater than two months later.
Tony Burris’ warrants have been lastly cleared July 13, 2023, greater than seven months after he was paroled.
The information lastly reached Burris final week.
Now, he can transfer to the neighborhood sentencing portion of his incarceration, a midway home, and start the transition again into society.
“I simply cannot wait to get out and discover a job and begin residing my life once more,” mentioned Burris. “I do know I will by no means break the legislation once more. I will by no means give them one more reason to place me again in jail once more. Sure, I am reformed.”
In keeping with the Pardon and Parole board parole in absentia is pretty uncommon.
The board granted solely three in 2023 and two to date in 2023.
