Oklahoma Justice System Criticized After Repeat Offender Released Amid Assault Allegations

Jeff Kofi Asare, a Ghanaian migrant, built a record of seven convictions from 2022 onward, including larceny, trespass and resisting an officer, yet served just 75 days for two burglary counts. In August, he was arrested for sexual battery after allegedly groping women near a bus stop on the 1st and near a park on the 6th, and was subsequently detained for an alleged attempted rape after firefighters rescued a woman on the 12th.

Observers blame a network of judges, the county district attorney and left-aligned diversion programs for repeatedly granting pre-trial releases. The Arnall Family Foundation, through Diversion Hub and the Education and Employment Ministry, has funded these programs with more than $56 million and received a $900,000 grant from the state attorney general’s office. The piece argues that such reforms prioritize reducing incarceration over public safety, linking philanthropic donations to policy outcomes.