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Date: October 27, 2009
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Taxpayers will be asked to pay for some of the fixes required under federal agreement. - Oklahoma County -
After jail deal, Oklahoma County will seek bond vote
Taxpayers will be asked to pay for some of the fixes required under federal agreement
BY BRYAN DEAN
Published: October 27, 2009 County officials have reached an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department to fix a litany of problems at the Oklahoma County jail.
Oklahoma County officials already have addressed many of the issues included in the agreement with the U.S. Justice Department. Following is a list of the fixes the county is agreeing to, and whether they have been made or not. Not fixed Staffing: Although the county has begun a staffing study as required by the agreement, officials said there is no money to hire the estimated 200 jailers needed, at a cost of $6 million a year. Direct supervision: The jail is not set up so that at least one jailer is permanently located in each pod. This will not be fixed until money is available. Maintenance: General maintenance is being done, but requirements including replacing cell doors, at a cost of $6,000 to $8,000 each for 1,200 doors, can`t be done until money is available. Discipline: Policies have been changed, but the jail does not have enough cells so that disciplined inmates can be segregated from the general population. Housing for suicidal inmates: The county does not yet have the money to renovate its medical cells to be suicide resistant by changing fixtures that might allow inmates to hang themselves.
Fire safety equipment: Although some new equipment is in place, a new master control panel for fire safety systems is needed. Already fixed or currently being fixed: Rounds: Jailers are making rounds every 30 minutes for high-security inmates and each hour for lower-risk inmates. Monitoring equipment: New cameras have been installed and a monitoring room has been built. Classification: A new system is in place to classify inmates based on their security risk and suicide risk. Incident reporting: All suicide attempts, detainee-on-detainee violence, use of force by staff, fires, escapes and deaths are being tracked and records kept as required. Investigations: Policies on internal investigations have changed, and use-of-force reviews are being conducted in all cases by jail Administrator Jack Herron. Training: Training requirements have been updated, and staff are being trained. Medical and mental health care: New policies are in place, and a new outside medical provider has been hired to meet the requirements of the agreement, including record keeping, medical and mental health screening, medical staffing, proper prescription and distribution of medication and providing access to emergency care and specialty care. Suicide prevention: Policies have been changed. Jailers are getting additional training to recognize warning signs. Inmates are being screened and observed when they are determined to be suicidal. Sanitation: A new housekeeping plan is in place, plumbing and ventilation is being fixed, a pest control program is in place, laundry is being done three times a week instead of once, an infection control plan is in place and the cafeteria has been re-done with an outside company taking over food service. Fire safety policies and training: Exit plans are now posted, and emergency keys are marked and accessible. Staff are being trained to meet the fire safety standards in the agreement, and a new fire safety plan is in place. Regular drills are taking place. Quality assurance: A quality assurance division is in place, and staff are tracking the jail`s compliance with the standards in the agreement. Source: U.S. Justice Department; Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel
The next step is to convince voters to pay for hundreds more jailers and major renovations to the downtown jail or for an entirely new jail. District 3 Commissioner Ray Vaughn said the price tag for the fixes likely will be $200 million to $300 million. A proposal likely will be offered to voters by summer, Vaughn said. Oklahoma County commissioners are expected to approve the agreement Wednesday. The agreement is to fix problems detailed in a scathing federal report issued last year. The report listed widespread issues ranging from inadequate staffing and supervision to poor record-keeping, substandard medical care and "unconscionable" violence. The agreement mandates numerous changes in policies and procedures, many of which Sheriff John Whetsel said he already has made. But the biggest issues - staffing and deficiencies with the jail building - still are unresolved and can't be fixed until the county finds a way to pay for them. "I think this was better than anybody had expected given their findings," Whetsel. "It's the most agreeable position I think we could have found ourselves in." The agreement gives the county time to ask voters for the money but warns that understaffing and building deficiencies must be remedied. Vaughn said the county has enough time that if the first ballot fails, officials may get a second chance to convince voters of the need before federal officials step in. "Plan C most likely would be a federal lawsuit from the Department of Justice," Vaughn said. Federal officials could mandate changes that would be funded through county property taxes with little regard for how much it would cost local taxpayers. Whetsel said the jail was understaffed the day it opened in 1991. He said the agreement calls for about 200 more jailers, which would cost about $6.5 million a year. "That shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody," Whetsel said. "People knew about how many people were required before this building ever opened. It's an issue that was allowed to be ignored back in the early 1990s." Problems with the jail's design also came up almost immediately after it opened. Those problems amplified as the building has aged. Architects told county officials in July it would cost $436.7 million to renovate the jail and $391.1 million to build a new jail.
Vaughn said the architects will submit a revised plan with a lower price range Nov. 15. "It's not exactly where I'd like to see it, but it's a lot better than it was," Vaughn said. "I think the options will be in the high $200 million range. The new facility will be slightly more than the renovations, but when you look at a 15- or 20-year operational cost, it is going to be the best approach." Whetsel said he is confident county officials can come up with a plan that voters will approve. "I have to be positive," Whetsel said. "Because we know if we don't fix it, something bad is going to happen."
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