NO TRIPLE CELLS, GREEN TAG APPROVAL HIGHLIGHT MAJOR JAIL IMPROVEMENTS AS STAFFING CHALLENGES PERSIST
As the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority (Jail Trust or Trust Authority) begins its third year operating the Oklahoma County Detention Center (OCDC), the Trust Authority continues to make major improvements to infrastructure and policies while also focusing on the most important, necessary improvement—increasing staffing. One of the major accomplishments in the last year was the total elimination of triple-celling, having three people in a cell, in the detention center. For several years, triple-celling was a chronic symptom of the dramatic overcrowding at the jail that was a hallmark of numerous other problems. Triple-celling meant that at least one person in the cell had to sleep with their mat on the floor or in a plastic “boat.” Due to the continued lower population and maintenance efforts to rehab defective cells, the Trust Authority announced a major milestone with the elimination of all triple-celling. “Our goal since the beginning has been to make sure every detainee has a bunk. This is significant Gender Breakdown of Jail Population 1 Year Average for FY22
because it reduces stress on detainees and staff,” said Greg Williams, jail administrator.
Another major accomplishment was the OCDC accomplishing “green tag” status for the emergency fire system, which means the fire system is in full compliance with appropriate National Fire Protection Association standards. The jail was not in green tag compliance when the Trust Authority took over operations. “This is a significant and important achievement for the jail and the county. The green tag is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff and independent contractors, and we now know the jail is much safer for detainees and staff,” noted Williams.
Other improvements include:
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Continued installation of new cell door locks, including remote opening capability.
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New full-body scanner for intake and court transport to detect hidden foreign objects in detainees.
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Electronic jail control system upgrades to control all slider doors, elevators and entry gates.
16% FEMALE
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Created a fast-track booking process to allow OK County residents to clear an outstanding warrant in less than 30 minutes without having to be booked into the secure area of the jail. Launched a new nine-member Citizen’s Advisory Board to bring more citizen oversight to jail operations, policies, community interaction, and recruitment/retention.
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84% MALE
Despite the various improvements which makes the Detention Center a better place to work, the Trust Authority continues to see mixed results with its most persistent problems: staff recruitment and retention of new staff. One
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