The Hot Seat: Oklahoma AG's Intervention Clears Path For New County Jail And Mental Health Facility

A recent opinion from the Oklahoma Attorney General has broken an impasse between Oklahoma County and Oklahoma City over the proposed site of a new county jail and Behavioral Health Center.

The AG's intervention, requested by a state representative, has provided the green light for the project to move forward, avoiding costly litigation between the two government entities.

The $40 million in funding initially earmarked for nonprofits will now be used for the mental health facility, and construction is set to begin soon to meet federal deadlines.

The project aims to address issues of recidivism and provide better mental health treatment options for the county's jail population.

Related: Q&A With Okla. County Commissioner Brian Maughan On Drummond's Jail Decision

AG's Opinion Provides Crucial Approval

"Well, it was requested by Representative John Echols, who's a frequent guest on your show here, and he has been a tremendous ally," said Oklahoma County Commissioner Brian Maughan.

"The Attorney General's opinion, issued just before New Year's, gave the county the necessary approval to start building the new facilities."

Tight Deadlines for Federal Funding

The project faces a tight timeline, with the federal ARPA deadline for securing the funding set for New Year's Eve 2024 and the completion deadline for New Year's Eve 2026.

"If you don't get started on building it, pretty soon, even if you've satisfied securing the funds in time, you can't get it built in time, you're still stuck in the problem of having to return those dollars to the federal government," Maughan explained.

Addressing Recidivism and Mental Health Needs

The new mental health facility is expected to have a significant impact on recidivism and the treatment of mentally ill individuals in the county's jail system.

"I also believe it will help with recidivism. You know, what we have now is a one size fits all cell and when you go through booking, even if the person booking you understands that we're likely dealing with a mental health issue or an addiction issue, they don't really have a whole lot we can do about it," Maughan said. We have some psychiatric help now, but we just don't have the clinical setting to really go and deal with that holistically. And so I think if we can get them over there, that will help with our daily jail population. I think it could also impact the people's charges than what they're facing, because there may be mentally ill and just don't understand what they've done, and they really need to be in a treatment facility, and they can help start, begin that process and facilitate them."

Public Perception and Cost Concerns

The public has expressed concerns about the delay in the project and the increased costs due to inflation since the 2022 bond passage.

Maughan acknowledged these concerns, stating the urgency to start construction to avoid further cost increases and ensure the project is completed on time.