‘You Have To Have Perpetual Hope’: Oklahoma County Detention Center Gets New CEO

The Oklahoma County Detention Center has a new jail CEO. Brandi Garner will be taking the place of Greg Williams who resigned last December. 

The Jail Trust voted unanimously to appoint Garner as the new jail CEO at a meeting on Monday. They also voted to assign her a mentor that she or the Jail Trust can call on for assistance.

Garner has worked for several law enforcement agencies. She said most of her experience is from working at the Cleveland County Jail. She started off as a detention officer with the goal to become a sheriff's deputy.

Garner started working at the Oklahoma County Jail in January of 2022. She served as a major and director of security for about a year before becoming the Interim CEO. Garner said she is aware the jail needs a lot of work and there are many issues, but it's a job she's passionate about. 

“You have to have it in your heart to really truly want to make a difference. This isn't a job for anyone,” Garner said.

Garner said her supportive staff is a big part of why she's taking on this role so she can fight for them.

“My priority is to get these people paid what they're worth. By the end of the first year, they will make up to $42,000 a year as detention officers. I still don't think that's adequate,” Garner said.

She said the current budget is around $39 million, which is not enough to operate the jail at the level she wants. 

“I'm funded for 320 employees, ideally need 409,” Garner said.

On top of recruiting, Garner said she's adding new guidelines. 

“I need everybody to understand that may be thinking about bringing contraband in here, I have great investigators,” Garner said.

They're also adding strip searches for all inmates returning from a court appearance. 

“Because sometimes very small objects aren't able to be detected on a body scanner and when you're talking about fentanyl enough to fit in your pinky fingernail is enough to kill people,” Garner said. 

She knows there's a lot of work ahead, but it's work she believes in.

“You have to have belief that things will get better and you have to have perpetual hope,” Garner said.