2 Inmates Were Unintentionally Released From The Oklahoma County Detention Center

A statement from the Oklahoma County Detention Center reveals that two detainees were released unintentionally. 

On December 1, Joshua Hardeman was released mistakenly due to what OCDC refers to as a “clerical error”. According to the statement, charges against Hardeman were dismissed. However, Hardeman had an outstanding warrant which would have kept him in custody. Monday afternoon Oklahoma City Police arrested Mr. Hardeman and he has been rebooked into the facility.

According to the statement, on December 4, OCDC released Devonne Sias, after Silas impersonated a different person intended to be released. OCDC states that the releasing clerk didn’t “perform proper procedures to confirm the individual’s identity.

When the release mistakes were discovered, OCDC says actions were taken to “rectify the situation”. OCDC also says that these incidents were not related to the new release procedures, but due to staff error. 

"We deeply regret the distress and inconvenience caused by these incidents. Our top priority is to rectify the mistakes, ensure the safe return of the mistakenly released individuals to our custody, and take concrete steps to prevent such errors in the future," said Brandi Garner, CEO of the Oklahoma County Detention Center.