SHINE PROGRAM

Start Helping

I recently launched the SHINE campaign - Start Helping Impacted Neighborhoods Everywhere - a comprehensive initiative to clean up our district. I wanted to let you know more about it so we can work hand-in-hand to make a real difference.

Program Goals

SHINE's goal is to assist schools, parks and neighborhoods with projects that will make a lasting improvement. This program will facilitate building a stronger and more well-rounded community by bringing the many facets of a community together such as schools, students, non-profits, government and citizens.

SHINE Program Documents

• Community Service Record (PDF)
• Community Service Verification Form (PDF)
• Educational Series (PDF)
• Graffiti Release Form (PDF)
• Letter to Community (PDF)
• Oklahoma County Commissioner's Flyer (PDF)
• Shine Q and A (PDF)
• Shine Summary (PDF)

Shine Foundation Presentation

Watch Commissioner Maughan's Shine Foundation presentation

Local Perspectives

Local Perspectives with Reid Mullins interviewing District 2 County Commissioner Brian Maughan. This interview highlights the great contributions and efforts of the District 2 Shine Program Initiative. Listen to the Local Perspectives Radio Interview.

FAQ's

What is SHINE?

SHINE stands for Start Helping Impacted Neighborhoods Everywhere. It was created by Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan to better serve the public and to make low-level offenders do true community service.

Under SHINE, judges sentence non-violent offenders to do a certain number of hours of community service. They are assigned to supervised SHINE crews who go out into the community to do meaningful work that makes Oklahoma County neighborhoods and business districts safer, cleaner, better places for all.

How much does SHINE save?

So far SHINE has reduced jail populations by about 80 inmates per day. At a daily incarceration cost of about $40 per inmate, that’s a savings of almost $1.5 million in just the first year of SHINE. Plus, the county is not liable for medical services to those not in jail.

SHINE also saves uncounted dollars by deploying non-salaried SHINE crews who are working off their debt to society to do work that would ordinarily cost taxpayer dollars. When SHINE crews remove dumped trash, trim brush or clear out a transient camp on public property, they do the work or a county or city crew of a dozen or more. SHINE has saved money for local schools, city governments and non-profit groups alike.

What are some SHINE success stories?

Crystal Lake in far west Oklahoma City is the city’s largest public park, but it had become almost unusable thanks to widespread dumping of refuse. SHINE crews have worked for months to remove some 2,200 dumped tires, clear brush, trim trees and upgrade the lakefront. Now, youth and Scouting groups are planning to return to Crystal Lake, a restored jewel of the city park system.

SHINE has also partnered with local police to remove graffiti from both public areas and private property, with owner permission. When police spot new graffiti, they relay the location to SHINE and a crew soon arrives to clean or paint over the mess.

Who Supports SHINE?

SHINE has drawn statewide and national attention as a model program. Locally, Chesapeake Energy, a county housing authority and the City of Oklahoma City have become funding partners with SHINE to make it even more effective and to underwrite supervision and equipment costs.

Most of all, SHINE has been a tremendous success with neighborhood associations and local community groups whose requests for litter cleanup and graffiti removal had long been lost in red tape.

Program Initiatives

• Create an overall safer, cleaner and nicer place to live
• Efficiently utilize and expose resources through community partnerships
• Improve economic development
• Prepare future generations to be responsible citizens

Contribution

SHINE is contributing to this effort by using people who have been sentenced to community service as laborers on projects. Under county supervision they will pay back their debt to society while keeping jail populations down and saving our tax dollars.

Specific Programs

SHINE has specific programs for each contributing facet of our community. High school and college students can earn a Commissioner's Cord and Certificate at graduation for donating 100 hours of community service. Businesses, universities, schools, non-profits and individual citizens are also encouraged to participate. SHINE has helped facilitate several partnership efforts.

Being Involved

There are many ways to be involved. If you would like more information on the program and learn how you can participate, please call my office. I look forward to hearing from you.

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