Okla. Co. Criminal Justice Authority Renews Agreement With OKC To House Municipal Arrestees

The Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority voted Monday afternoon to renew its contract with the City of Oklahoma City to house municipal arrestees.

Unlike other municipalities like Edmond or Midwest City, the City of Oklahoma City does not have its own municipal jail.

The lack of OKC’s own municipal jail is why all detainees from that location are sent to the Oklahoma County Detention Center.

Activist groups called on trustees to reject the contract. They said the jail breeds an inhumane, unsafe and overcrowded environment.

The protesters said Oklahoma City should have its own municipal jail for lower-level offenses.

“We send our own citizens, not convicted of anything, into a situation where they can be tortured or put to death,” local activist Mark Faulk said.  

The jail trust said it has already spent $10.3 million of CARES Act funding to fix problems staff and inmates deal with daily.  

 Jail Trust chief executive officer and administrator Greg Williams said they’ve been working to improve the facilities.

“We continue to take an aggressive action with the extermination of bed bugs,” Williams said. “In this effort, we continue to spray mattresses before they are issued or reissued.”

Williams also reported that they've received only one positive COVID test in the last 7 days. 

Activists said issues at the facility are beyond what's being handled.

“The overwhelming majority of the problem in the jail is leadership, lack of accountability and toxic work culture,” People’s Council for Criminal Justice Reform member Christopher Johnston said.

Jail spokesperson Mark Opgrande told News 9 that staff are doing all they can to improve the facility, including additional upgrades to the building itself.

While the board has approved the contract, the contract has not yet been signed. It must go through Oklahoma City and be approved by city leaders.