District attorneys tell appropriations panel they face a ‘crisis’ recruiting and retaining prosecutors

Catherine Brewster, executive coordinator for the District Attorney’s Council, told the Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and Judiciary that Oklahoma prosecutors are in a staffing crisis and urged the committee to prioritize recruitment and retention funding.

Brewster said the council’s primary budget request this year is for recruitment and retention. “I believe we’re in crisis when I look at this situation,” she told members, citing statewide data on why prosecutors leave and on the uneven post-pandemic labor market.

The issue matters for public safety and court operations because midlevel prosecutors — the staff who gain trial experience and become future leaders — are leaving at higher rates, leaving some rural offices with only one experienced trial lawyer. District Attorney Matt Ballard (District 12) told the panel his office has 10 full‑time attorneys now but has lost 22 attorneys over the past decade; of those, he said 18 left for other state or federal law‑enforcement agencies. Ballard said outside postings can pay far more: he cited a Tulsa posting for a city prosecutor at $106,000 and said starting pay in some state offices is higher than what most county DA offices can offer.

Panel members and prosecutors described multiple causes. Brewster presented Oklahoma survey information showing motivations to enter prosecution (“doing justice for my community,” trial work, agency mission) and reasons for leaving (57% cited better pay elsewhere, and personal well‑being also featured prominently). Ballard and other DAs blamed sustained salary stagnation, competition from U.S. attorney offices, tribal governments and city/county law offices, and a post‑pandemic shift in work preferences.

Prosecutors described the practical effect on casework. Ballard estimated that to be ready to try serious child‑abuse cases a prosecutor typically needs roughly 15 jury trials with second‑chair experience in several of those, and that reaching that level often takes three to five years; he said capital‑murder cases typically require more than eight years of experience. That training gap means only a small number of attorneys in many offices can handle serious trials, increasing pressure and caseloads on those individuals.

District Attorney Greg Mashburn (District 21) described measures the council and legislature have used to slow departures, including a temporary pool the legislature provided for “stay bonuses.” “The past two Novembers… if you’ve been here longer than three years, you’ve gotten a stay bonus,” Mashburn said, and DAs reported the bonuses helped retain some prosecutors who were considering leaving.

Brewster and the DAs also urged funding for technology and evidence storage. Brewster told the committee the council has focused most appropriations on people and that body‑worn camera storage and other digital evidence needs remain large unresolved expenses. She said the council supplied one‑page summary materials and that staff (including assistant executive coordinator Ryan Stevenson) are available to answer follow‑up questions.

No formal vote or appropriation occurred during the presentation; the session served as a request and informational briefing to the subcommittee. The committee moved on to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs after the presentation.