Deaths at Oklahoma County Jail cast a shadow over recent improvements

• Facilities and infrastructure: Refurbishment of cells on floors 4 and 8, including painting of cells, bed frames and rest areas, sealing of cells, external walls and showers, with ongoing refurbishment of remaining floors. Repair and installation of new loading ramp and roller doors. Repair of HVAC, roof and reception areas.
• Acceptance and approval process: The intake process was revised to include comprehensive medical and psychiatric evaluations and to refer more people arrested for minor offenses to hospitals or mental health facilities. Steps were taken to move people through the criminal justice system more quickly. A more efficient intake and release process for people with warrants and posted bail, reducing the time to about 20 minutes.
• Medical and mental health initiatives: Implementing an aggressive medical Own Recognition (OR) program to identify individuals with serious chronic and acute medical problems and notify court officials of possible release to prevent serious medical events while incarcerated. Collaborating with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health (and Substance Abuse Services) to conduct on-site, one-on-one mental health visits with inmates to assist with competency determinations.
• Initial and continuing education: Reform of the law enforcement training program, extending the academy to 8 weeks with 6 weeks of practical training, totaling 560 hours. Moving training from the Moore Norman Technology Center to the field to provide realistic insight into the work environment and practice practical skills. Integrated hands-on, real-world training. Advanced defensive tactics and physical training.
• Resident programs and services: Contract with NCIC (National Crime Information Center) to provide wider access to phones and tablets, enable communication with family, friends and lawyers, and provide low-cost education and job training opportunities. Provide free education and job training opportunities via tablets. Contract with Benchmark for better cafeteria options and meals.
• Community and employee engagement: A new mission, vision and values ​​were developed based on employee feedback. An aggressive recruitment strategy was implemented that included billboards, bus shelters, media appearances, on-site job fairs, social media campaigns and rewards. Employment climate surveys were conducted at least annually to collect feedback for continuous improvement.
• Operational improvements: Reformed the Criminal Investigation Division, hiring experienced investigators and installing a crime analyst and evidence technician as supervisors. Developed a policy to emphasize the person rather than the term “inmate.” Established the Office of Professional Standards, which oversees background investigations, internal affairs, and enforcement of Congress's Prison Rape Elimination Act.

More: Could Oklahoma County introduce a first-ever sales tax to help fund a new jail?

Editor Richard Mize covers Oklahoma County government and the city of Edmond. He previously covered housing, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Reach him at [email protected]. You can support Richard's work and that of his colleagues by purchasing a digital subscription to the Oklahoman. Currently, you can get 6 months of subscriber access for $1.