OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma County Jail has failed another health inspection, now totaling eight straight inspections the jail has failed dating back to 2019.

During the latest inspection, the jail staff wouldn’t even let inspectors through the doors and told them it is unsafe, due to not having enough staff to accommodate them around the jail, which has many in the community worried.

“They said, we don’t have enough people, that’s what it said there on the official report,” Christopher Johnston, Member of People’s Council for Justice Reform said. “That is terrifying.”

It has been five years since the Oklahoma County Jail has passed a state health inspection.

The listed issues range from bed bugs, unsanitary areas, staffing issues, and mold amongst many other things.

“Hygiene; a building doesn’t clean itself,” Johnston said. “It doesn’t grab a bar of soap and start scrubbing itself. A building doesn’t not conduct site checks. A building doesn’t keep people from coming into it. That is management, that is the staff running it.”

Johnston says the district attorney and attorney general need to step in.

“He’s got to step in,” Johnston said. “He knows what’s going on. It’s happening near his office. So, the attorney general needs to to really evaluate.”

The Oklahoma State Department of Health agrees, telling us in a statement that when a jail fails an inspection:

We are actively communicating with the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s office.

For enforcement following an inspection or follow-up inspection of a facility determined to be not in compliance with the applicable statutory and regulatory standards, OSDH will evaluate and assess appropriate next steps based on all available tools and statutory authority. Such next steps may include a complaint filed with the Attorney General, a complaint filed with the local District Attorney, the assessment of administrative penalties, or any combination thereof.

Oklahoma State Department of Health

We reached out to both offices; the AG’s office said because it is not a state facility, they are not involved unless brought in by the State Department of Health.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Zemp Behenna sent News 4 this letter, written by Assistant District Attorney Aaron Etherington.

In the letter, Etherington tells the Department of Health it “exceeded its lawful authority” in attempting to inspect the jail this week, and called the notice of non-compliance “void.”

News 4 asked how the DA’s office came to that conclusion, but never heard back.

Johnston says if action isn’t taken soon, things will only get worse.

“It’s a ticking time bomb,” Johnston said. “There is a high probability that something horrible will happen.”

Of course, all of this comes as Oklahoma County tries to build a new jail.

Those efforts are still up in the air after the City of Oklahoma City voted no on the proposed jail location.

The Board of County Commissioners for Oklahoma County has since filed a lawsuit against the City of Oklahoma city over sovereignty of the land.

For many Oklahoma City families, buying a home is not an option. 

One lawmaker wants to study creative 3D technology to reduce construction costs. Some state leaders are optimistic about its possibilities. 

They hope to use the technology to solve Oklahoma’s lack of affordable housing. Greg Shinn with the Oklahoma City Housing Authority pointed to the data. 

“There’s a huge gap,” said Shinn, talking about the demand for affordable homes. “It feels like it’s overwhelming.” 

The OKC waitlist for public and Section 8 housing lists more than 29,000 families. “They’re considered severely cost-burdened,” Shinn said. 

He said many Oklahoma families face imminent chances of homelessness.  

“It takes one medical bill; your car breaks down,” Shinn said. 

Shinn’s office assists people with affordable housing – but it can’t keep up. “It’s just not enough when you look at these numbers,” Shinn said. 

Rep. Mickey Dollens, (D-Oklahoma City), is exploring private-sector solutions. “There’s an innovative technology that shows a lot of promise,” Dollens said. 

Dollens proposed an interim study to study the laws, regulations, and repairs needed to allow 3D-printed homes to be built at affordable prices. “Consider all the different ways that we could go about building these,” Dollens said. “This is gonna prove very beneficial for smaller houses.”  

Safety is on Dollens’s mind. He said the goal is to build quality homes without the high price tag. “We don’t wanna cut any corners,” Dollens said. 

 Dollens said limiting corporate control is also important. “A prohibition on any corporate ownership on these homes going forward,” Dollens said. 

Shinn said housing investment saves taxpayers’ money and creates jobs. “Those are lasting jobs because the housing will be sustainable,” Shinn said. “Things we never dreamed of are possible now.” 

However, Shinn believes the financial security of its people measures the health of a community. “We all benefit from that,” Shinn said. 

Dollens said the results of this study will direct them on their legislative priorities next session. Dollens said a company out of Austin, Texas called Icon is leading the way for 3D-printed homes. 

The move comes after Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who is Catholic, signed legislation that requires K–12 schools and colleges that receive public funding to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom.

“Oklahoma kids will learn that the Bible and the Ten Commandments are foundational for western civilization. The left is upset, but one cannot rewrite history,” Walters said in a post on X.

The decision is already receiving some pushback, with some arguing that it violates the separation of church and state. The nonprofit Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has threatened to “take action” against the directive in a post on X.

Walters contends that this initiative will foster cultural and historical literacy among students.

Citing Title 70 of Oklahoma’s education standards, Walters explained in a video announcement on X that the Bible is a “necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country, to have a complete understanding of western civilization, to have an understanding of the basis of our legal system, and is frankly … one of the most foundational documents used for the Constitution and the birth of our country.”

“The Bible is one of the most historically significant books and a cornerstone of Western civilization, along with the Ten Commandments,” the press release read. “They will be referenced as an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like, as well as for their substantial influence on our nation’s founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution.”