About OK Voices, Inc.
OK Voices is an organization that is providing support for registrants and their families through support groups that are developing across the state. This organization has become a reality through the founder and Executive Director, Lori Hamilton, and with the assistance of several others, she has a new direction and vision for the state of Oklahoma in how to advocate for, support, and assist those on the registry.
“What is OK Voices exactly?”
OK Voices is a non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Oklahoma. We are an affiliate of the national organization, NARSOL.We are building working relationships with treatment providers across our state as well as attorneys who specialize in sex offender litigation within our state. We believe in support groups and what a dynamic resource it is for those that attend, and we believe in you. We place supporting registrants and their families at the heart of what we do. It is truly at the core of all success in order to grow, promote change, and develop a voice in our state. We are the Voices of Oklahoma, and the more we support one another and stand together, the louder our voices become.
Members of OK Voices will work to communicate with and educate the public, media, and the legislature about the myths about our population that are required to register and the current laws that are detrimental to not just the registrant but their families and friends as well.
OK Voices will have members that take on active roles to establish relationships with representatives at the capital in order to advocate change to existing laws and oppose or support legislative bills active within the legislative session each year. These legislative bills will be tracked from the moment they are introduced, and this information will also be shared within our support group meetings.
Another priority for OK Voices will be to work through communications with the media to reverse the stigma put on our population within the public mindset by educating through documented facts by means of editorials, press releases, and interviews.
OK Voices will reach out within the community and also the correctional institutions to offer knowledge, support, and representation to those within our population.
“Who is our population?”
Our population is every individual who is required to register on Oklahoma’s sex offender registry. It is also those who have been removed from that registry but still struggle with the stigma it has placed on their lives. It is every family member and friend of a registrant, as they are just as affected by that registration and the laws. As they support their loved ones and friends on the registry, they struggle right along with them. When someone is placed on the registry, their family is registered too. It is also those who are incarcerated and will be required to register upon release and their families who need the same knowledge of the laws and need support in preparation for their loved ones to come home. Our population is everyone the registry and laws affect now and will ever affect in the future.
Most importantly, OK Voices will offer support to our population. We will continue to develop and grow support groups across the state of Oklahoma. We will offer resources, knowledge, and assistance whenever it is possible and available. We have successful support groups in Norman and Tulsa, and we are working to establish new groups in other areas of the state. These groups are growing, and it is truly exciting to have so many outstanding individuals on board with this effort.
OK Voices takes a compassionate stance to developing a strong, well balanced, productive non-profit organization working for the people and by the people who are interested in our cause. OK Voices does not condone nor support any sexual abuse of any kind, but we do believe in reintegration, treatment, support, and second chances for those looking to live a productive and noncriminal life.
The binder, you have received, is a gift from OK Voices. These binders were obtained by generous donation and have been gathered and put together by registrants just like you. As we know too well, paperwork is a detrimental and unfortunate necessity of being on the registry. You can use this binder to file away copies from renewing your registration, other paperwork related to probation or treatment, or even the many receipts that you collect over the months. Keeping track of so much can be a daunting task, and we wanted to give you a little something that may provide a way to stay organized.
Inside this binder, you will find information about our support groups, a page you can give to your probation officer and/or treatment provider, applications to attend a group if you and your family are interested, and an authorization form for your probation officer to sign when giving their approval for you to attend. Even if we do not have a support group in your area yet, we would still love to hear from you about your interest in one.
If you have any questions about OK Voices, the support groups, the work we are doing, or would like to get involved, please do not hesitate to contact us and let us know. We would be happy to hear from you. The contact information is provided below. We are here for you, and your input is valuable to us.
Thank you,
Lori Hamilton
Executive Director
(918) 261-1757