A. 1. If an applicant for in forma pauperis is a prisoner and the prisoner brings an action of any kind, upon filing, the court shall order the prisoner to pay, as a partial payment of any court costs required by law, before the commencement of the action, a first-time payment of twenty percent (20%) of the deposits of the preceding six (6) months to the trust account of the prisoner administered by the confining agency and thereafter monthly payments of twenty percent (20%) of the deposits of the preceding month to the account, but only if the prisoner does not have enough funds to pay the total costs required by law at the time of filing. In those cases where the prisoner has sufficient funds available, the prisoner shall be ordered to pay the required costs before the action may commence. The confining agency shall withdraw monies maintained in the trust account for payment of court fees and shall forward the monies collected at any time the monies exceed Ten Dollars ($10.00) to the appropriate court clerk, or clerks if multiple courts are involved, until the actual court costs are paid in full. If the prisoner is discharged before payment in full, the court clerk shall be notified of the reported forwarding address and date of discharge of the prisoner. The prisoner must file a certified copy of the trust account records of the prisoner with the court that reflects the balance and activity of the previous six (6) months at the time the petition is filed. If the prisoner is on probation or parole, the prisoner will file certified copies of bank or savings statements of the account and income receipts for the prior six (6) months.

2. Nothing in this section prevents a prisoner from authorizing payment beyond that required by law or the Department of Corrections or political subdivision from forwarding payment beyond that required by law if the prisoner has the funds available.

3. The court may dismiss any civil action in which the prisoner has failed to pay fees and costs assessed by the court and it is determined the prisoner has funds available and did not pay the required fees and costs.

4. If a prisoner is found to be indigent and totally without any funds pursuant to this section at the time of filing, the case may proceed without prepayment of fees or partial fees. Even in those cases where the court finds the prisoner is without funds, the court shall assess costs against the prisoner, establish a payment schedule and order the costs paid when the prisoner has funds.

B. 1. An affidavit of inability to pay containing complete information as to the identity of the prisoner, prisoner identification number, nature and amount of income, income of the spouse of the prisoner, property owned, cash or checking accounts, dependents, debts and monthly expenses shall be filed with the court. In addition to the information required above, the affidavit shall contain the following statements: “I am unable to pay the court costs at this time. I verify that the statements made in this affidavit are true and correct.” The affidavit shall be sworn as required by law.

2. The Attorney General or other counsel for the defendant shall be authorized to receive information from any source verifying the financial information given by the prisoner.

3. When considering the ability of a prisoner to pay fees and costs and establishing a payment schedule, the court shall consider, but is not limited to consideration of, the following:

a.all living support received by the person from any source, including the state, whether in money or any form of services,

b.any income of a spouse,

c.gifts,

d.savings accounts,

e.retirement plans,

f.trust accounts,

g.personal property,

h.inmate trust accounts, and

i.any dispositions of property, real or personal, in the past twelve (12) months.

C. A court, in which an affidavit of inability to pay has been filed, shall dismiss the action in whole or in part upon a finding that the allegation of poverty is false. If a portion of the action is dismissed, the court shall also designate the issues and defendants on which the action is to proceed without prepaying costs. This order is not subject to an interlocutory appeal.

D. In determining whether the allegation of poverty is false, the court is authorized to hold a hearing, before or after service of process, on its own motion or upon the motion of a party.

E. If the court concludes, based on information contained in the affidavit of inability to pay or other information available to the court, that the prisoner is able to prepay part of the fees or costs required, then the court shall order a partial payment to be made as a condition precedent to the commencement and further prosecution of the action.

F. Notwithstanding any filing fee, or any portion thereof, that may have been paid, the court shall dismiss the case at any time if the court determines that:

1. The allegation of poverty is untrue; or

2. The action or appeal:

a.is frivolous or malicious,

b.fails to state a claim on which relief may be granted, or

c.seeks monetary relief against a defendant who is immune from such relief.

G. 1. The Department of Corrections and each sheriff is hereby authorized to adopt a grievance procedure at its institutions for receiving and disposing of any and all grievances by prisoners against the Department of Corrections or any entity contracting with the Department of Corrections to provide correctional services, or any officials or employees of either the Department or correctional services contractor or a sheriff, deputies of the sheriff or employees of the county, which arise while a prisoner is within the custody or under the supervision of the Department or sheriff. The grievances may include, but are not limited to, any and all claims seeking monetary damages or any other form of relief otherwise authorized by law. All such grievance procedures, including the prisoner disciplinary process, shall be deemed to be the exclusive internal administrative remedy for complaints and grievances.

2. No court of the State of Oklahoma shall entertain a grievance, petition, or complaint of a prisoner unless and until the prisoner has exhausted all the remedies as provided in the grievance procedure of the Director of the Department of Corrections or sheriff. Nothing in this section shall modify requirements of The Governmental Tort Claims Act.

3. Failure to timely institute administrative review of a claim shall be considered an abandonment, and upon motion of the defendants, supported by an affidavit of the defendant that the prisoner has failed to timely institute and exhaust the administrative remedy, the court shall enter a judgment of dismissal with prejudice in that cause of action. Strict adherence to the notice requirement established in the grievance procedures shall be complied with by the prisoner or the attorney of the prisoner.

4. In addition to any other provisions of law providing for the confidentiality of records of the Department of Corrections or a sheriff, all reports, investigations, and like supporting documents prepared by the Department or sheriff for purposes of responding to the request of a prisoner for an administrative remedy shall be deemed to be prepared in anticipation of litigation and are confidential and not subject to discovery by the prisoner in any civil action or subject to release under the Oklahoma Open Records Act. All formal written responses to the grievance of the prisoner shall be furnished to the prisoner as provided for in the grievance procedure.

5. Any prisoner who is allegedly aggrieved by an adverse decision by the Department of Corrections or a sheriff rendered pursuant to any grievance procedure must file the appropriate civil cause of action or application for extraordinary writ, within one hundred eighty (180) days after the final decision is issued and within the limitations period set forth in The Governmental Tort Claims Act, to the appropriate court alleging specifically what legal right was violated and what remedy exists.

H. Nothing in this section shall be construed as waiving the sovereign immunity or the tort immunity of the state, its agencies, officers or employees for injuries allegedly suffered while in the custody of the state and its agency or any county, sheriff, or officers or employees of the county for injuries allegedly suffered while in the custody of the county.

I. “Prisoner” as used herein shall include, but not be limited to, a person in custody or whose claims arose during custody.

Added by Laws 2002, c. 402, § 10, eff. July 1, 2002. Amended by Laws 2004, c. 168, § 12, emerg. eff. April 27, 2004; Laws 2006, c. 31, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2006.

NOTE: Laws 2004, c. 382, § 4 repealed the effective date in Laws 2004, c. 168, § 18, causing that chapter to revert to its emergency effective date.