County Jail

[barrettd]

The old jail is architecturally ridiculous, built and designed by a company that had no experience building jails. For instance - no food slots in the door so they have to be opened to feed an inmate, mental health workers have to examine inmates outside their cells, there's no dedicated mental health pod, it has dropped ceilings that inmates use to fashion weapons from, concrete columns that obstruct visibility, locks can be jammed open with a piece of paper or a spork, ad nauseum. So a completely new building, built by a company that knows how to build (and has built) jails would be a big start. Then they need to work on the administration.

Gotcha. I didn't realize all of that. I remember the glass blocks being pushed out rather easy when it first opened and inmates leaving at will (exaggeration), but didn't know the extent of the issues.

[Rover]

Gotcha. I didn't realize all of that. I remember the glass blocks being pushed out rather easy when it first opened and inmates leaving at will (exaggeration), but didn't know the extent of the issues.

I think Travellers is actually being sparing in the problems. The plumbing has always been a disaster (sewage leaks from floor to floor, etc.), and all kinds of systems disasters. It wasn't even designed to be a good working building for ANY purpose. But it was somehow approved all along the design and build way by the county officials. Lot's of incompetence at best and corruption at worst.

[T. Jamison]

In addition, it is my understanding that because it is a multi-level facility each level has to basically operate as a stand-alone jail. My assumption would be with higher staffing requirements per inmate, fewer funds allocated to the jail are available to provide basic services to the inmates.

[TheTravellers]

Yeah, the stuff I listed was just the tip of the jailberg, and the multi-level aspect is just complete idiocy, it should never have been built the way it was designed and it needs to be completely demolished.

[Plutonic Panda]

I also hope they keep the jail downtown somewhere if/when they build a new one. The closer to the existing services the better.

[Paseofreak]

I remember reading quite some time ago that three of the four principals of the design/build firm that did the jail
were not licensed architects or licensed in any related discipline. The manager of the County jail project was not the licensed guy. This turned out to be a big deal and they left a trail of seriously substandard work behind them. They apparently designed and oversaw construction of several schools in Moore that were found to be structurally deficient (no bond beams in big CMU walls) in the 2013 tornado.

[Plutonic Panda]

Unless it’s a typo the county is getting 152 million dollars from the cares act and Lowe is outright saying we need a new jail. This money would be great to put to a new jail if it can be used for that.

[DowntownMan]

I also hope they keep the jail downtown somewhere if/when they build a new one. The closer to the existing services the better.

I believe they will build this in eastern Oklahoma county if I remember correctly. That’s what previous discussions were. There’s no reason for it to be downtown. It would make costs much higher to acquire land can build less high rise if it isn’t downtown which would be cheaper and easier to maintain staffing fir

[Plutonic Panda]

There are tons of reasons to keep it downtown.

1. Less resources spent transferring prisoners to and from court.

2. Being able to release detainees onto the street with nearby services available as opposed to requiring shuttles to transport them back to downtown where they’d be dropped off

3. It’s easier for those who have loved ones to have a facility near existing services like bail bonds and transit stops.

There is reasonable land around downtown in the SW part or land like at Sheridan and Indiana that could be potential sites. Putting it out in the sticks is just absurd.

The conversations of putting it around Choctaw stemmed from the previous sheriff so hopefully those talks are dead.

[BoulderSooner]

There are tons of reasons to keep it downtown.

1. Less resources spent transferring prisoners to and from court.

2. Being able to release detainees onto the street with nearby services available as opposed to requiring shuttles to transport them back to downtown where they’d be dropped off

3. It’s easier for those who have loved ones to have a facility near existing services like bail bonds and transit stops.

There is reasonable land around downtown in the SW part or land like at Sheridan and Indiana that could be potential sites. Putting it out in the sticks is just absurd.

The conversations of putting it around Choctaw stemmed from the previous sheriff so hopefully those talks are dead.

the cost is so much less putting it not in down town .. that makes up for it ...

this should be next to one of the land fills ..

[Rover]

the cost is so much less putting it not in down town .. that makes up for it ...

this should be next to one of the land fills ..

It’s more about efficiency of resources, not just land costs. If operational costs for all involved expand it will quickly dwarf land costs.

[BoulderSooner]

It’s more about efficiency of resources, not just land costs. If operational costs for all involved expand it will quickly dwarf land costs.

does that happen in Cleveland county??

[Rover]

does that happen in Cleveland county??

Maybe, but what does that have to do with OKC? Their dynamic, volume, etc. is different. But concepts of efficiency is the same.

[BoulderSooner]

Maybe, but what does that have to do with OKC? Their dynamic, volume, etc. is different. But concepts of efficiency is the same.

cost .. that jail cost 26 mil ..... they are talking about 500mil + for a new OK county jail .... and you still will have transportation costs .. .25-.5 miles .... or 7 miles (if it was built next to the crossroads land fill .. )

outside of downtown is the best option

[Plutonic Panda]

the cost is so much less putting it not in down town .. that makes up for it ...

this should be next to one of the land fills ..

I’m not going to put any time responding to such an ignorant comment. I hope county leaders are smarter than this.

[Martin]

I’m not going to put any time responding to such an ignorant comment. I hope county leaders are smarter than this.

i think you can disagree in a more constructive way.

[DowntownMan]

I don’t think his comment was stupid. I think it’s a good thought as in it can be built on land that would most likely not be attractive for anything else to be built. I don’t read that statement as calling the jail trash or anything about the people in jail. I think it’s just saying build it on land that is less desirable for other development and also would not hinder other development in the area of taking place.

[Midtowner]

There are tons of reasons to keep it downtown.

1. Less resources spent transferring prisoners to and from court.

2. Being able to release detainees onto the street with nearby services available as opposed to requiring shuttles to transport them back to downtown where they’d be dropped off

3. It’s easier for those who have loved ones to have a facility near existing services like bail bonds and transit stops.

There is reasonable land around downtown in the SW part or land like at Sheridan and Indiana that could be potential sites. Putting it out in the sticks is just absurd.

The conversations of putting it around Choctaw stemmed from the previous sheriff so hopefully those talks are dead.

In addition, transporting prisoners to Eastern Oklahoma County is a huge security concern. Also, defense attorneys need convenient access to prisoners. The public defender especially.

[BoulderSooner]

In addition, transporting prisoners to Eastern Oklahoma County is a huge security concern. Also, defense attorneys need convenient access to prisoners. The public defender especially.

i know the volume of prisoners in Cleveland county is not as big .... but does it create a burden in that county??

[TheTravellers]

Commissioners appoint Chad Alexander to jail trust

Not sure if this guy is qualified for the jail trust...

"The host of radio station KOKC‘s 4 to 6 p.m. time slot on 1520 AM and 95.3 FM, Alexander is registered to lobby the Oklahoma Legislature and Gov. Kevin Stitt’s office for the Institute for Responsible Alcohol Policy, an industry association representing wine and spirit wholesalers who are also licensed beer distributors. The organization’s primary members are Republic National Distributing Company and Southern Glazers.

Alexander’s wife, Stephanie Alexander, is his designated filing agent with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. Stephanie Alexander served as battleground states director for former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and as chief of staff for Trump’s 2020 re-election effort.

Chad Alexander also has a background in campaign politics, serving former Congressman J.C. Watts’ campaign manager prior to serving as chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party.

Prior to his May 2014 arrest for drug possession, Alexander had several other lobbying and political consulting clients, including the University of Oklahoma and Newt Gingrich’s 2012 presidential campaign. At the time of his arrest, Alexander allegedly showed an Oklahoma City police officer a badge and said he was an assistant district attorney for Cleveland County, which was not true. Alexander was ultimately sentenced to five years probation following treatment for substance dependency.

Alexander holds an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Central Oklahoma. He graduated Pi Sigma Alpha as a member of the Political Science Honor Society. From December 2014 until June 2020, he served on the board of directors for the OKC Metro Alliance , a work recovery program for drug and alcohol abuse. He also has served on the board of directors for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, according to a press release provided by the jail trust."

[Plutonic Panda]

The county is FINALLY going to study building a new jail facility.

https://freepressokc.com/new-oklahom...further-study/

[BoulderSooner]

The county is FINALLY going to study building a new jail facility.

https://freepressokc.com/new-oklahom...further-study/

this is the best part of that "plan"

Funding
The central question about building a new Jail facility is how to fund such a project.

The first suggestion for funding the new Jail is to use all $154 million of American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) relief funds.

Additional money would be found using general obligation limited tax bonds (GOLT) to the tune of $95 million, revenue anticipation bonds in the amount of $48 million, and lease-purchase revenue bonds at $95 million.


a new tax or raised taxes .. have very little chance of passing for this project ... so i am glad they are finding a solution ..


hopefully they build the new jail .. near one of the land fills ... down by 240, or the one on I40 west or NE (36th and air depot)

[Plutonic Panda]

News 9 article on the issue:

https://www.news9.com/story/61720e8c...ention-center-

[TheTravellers]

^^^ Argh, everybody knew all this *years* ago, can't believe it's still ongoing! Get the DOJ (or someone else) in here to manage it because we're obviously completely incapable of doing it ourselves, build a new one ASAP, tear the old one down, just freaking do it...

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^ agreed but at least the county is now acknowledging it. Baby steps