Lawmakers Call For Action To Address Conditions At Oklahoma County Detention Center

State and local officials held a press conference on Monday to address the findings of a recent report on the conditions at the Oklahoma County Detention Center, calling for immediate legislative action to address the crisis.

The 72-page report by the Oklahoma State Department of Health describes the living conditions as "hazardous" and details how jail staff "failed to meet the basic needs of inmates."

"The medical care is inadequate, site checks are dangerously infrequent, and some rooms in the facility were below 60 degrees," said Rep. Jason Lowe (D-Oklahoma City). "Additionally, many inmates reported bed bug infestations, and there was evidence of mice infestations and all of the debris and trash found on the site."

Lowe, who was joined by State Senator Nikki Nice (D-SD 48) and Garland Pruitt, the President of the NAACP Oklahoma City chapter, emphasized that the facility is dangerously overcrowded and understaffed, contributing to the dire conditions.

"During the Department of Health's visit to the jail, an inmate was found deceased in their cell," Lowe said. "They also learned that other inmates have passed away. This is absolutely unacceptable."

The officials called for immediate legislative intervention, noting that the problems at the Oklahoma County Jail are likely indicative of broader issues within the state's jail system.

"If Oklahoma County is experiencing these problems, I'm sure other jails across the state are as well," Lowe said. "We need to examine our jails. We need to make sure it's safe. We need to make sure if someone's arrested, that they get a fair trial, and most importantly, before they get to trial, now die in jail."

Pruitt echoed the call for a thorough investigation, emphasizing the need for adequate funding to address the problems. "In this day and time, 2025 when systems are broken, you address them," Pruitt said. "It'll only happen if we get a thorough and proper and professional investigation. We call for that investigation to take place in order to save lives."

Senator Nice framed the issue as a human rights concern, highlighting the impact on the families of those detained. "This is clearly a human rights issue as we look at it, pertaining to those are that are being detained at our county jail in Oklahoma County, and as we heard from Representative Lowe, I'm pretty sure we can find similar concerns in other county jail systems within the state of Oklahoma," Nice said.

The officials acknowledged the complex web of issues surrounding the jail, including the recent resignation of the CEO and ongoing legal challenges. "We need to look into this. We need to examine all of the issues, get every party in, even the judges, the DA office, the state legislators, the county commissioners," Lowe said. "Everyone needs to sit at the table and figure this thing out. As I said, lives are on the line, and we need to figure it out and get the job done for the citizens of this great state."

Lowe said that he would reach out to state legislative leadership and work towards immediate action, with the upcoming legislative session on February 6 providing a critical opportunity to address the crisis at the Oklahoma County Jail and potentially other facilities across the state.