After Bond Issue Approved, What Comes Next For New Oklahoma County Jail

Oklahoma County voters handed a $260 million greenback jail bond final month.

The cash is meant for the constructing of a brand new Oklahoma County Detention Middle.

County leaders and the jail belief agree: the present jail wants an improve.

Thus far, this 12 months 11 Oklahoma County inmates have died.

Tim Tardibono with the Oklahoma County Justice Advisory Council is an advocate for the brand new facility.

“We expect it should save lives,” Tardibono stated. “A few of these lawsuits which were talked about not too long ago will not occur. The present facility actually does not have a medical unit or a psychological well being unit, so the brand new jail can have a particularly design (sic), in line with nationwide healthcare requirements.”

The plan, nonetheless, is drawing opposition from activists.

Christopher Johnston with The Individuals’s Council for Justice Reform believes the problems on the jail will not go away with a brand new constructing.

“Each single entity that has investigated (the jail) — the Division of Justice, so on and so forth — all say it’s the administration,” Johnston stated.

One distinction within the building of the brand new jail, in comparison with the present jail, will probably be a citizen’s advisory council.

“These residents will assist us with oversight, very similar to we’ve seen with MAPS 4 advisory board, MAPS 3 and all the way in which again to MAPS 1,” Tardibono stated. “Residents have been concerned in how you can spend that cash.”

Tardibono stated the advisory council will select seven individuals inside the subsequent few weeks. A challenge supervisor will then must be employed.

“There will probably be a design course of and architectural course of, so it could be a few months possibly even a 12 months till that course of is full,” Tardibono stated.

As for location, the brand new jail must be inside a 10-minute drive of present county courthouse. 

After utilizing the $260 million bond quantity, extra money will probably be wanted to construct the jail. 

“There are numerous different methods to fund that which incorporates the federal cash that’s on the market,” Tardibono stated. “There’s different bonding capability that the jail belief has.”

Johnston stated his group will probably be maintaining a tally of it each step of the way in which.

“They’re saying that they’re going to proceed to strive make enhancements … and get individuals out of there. We’re going to maintain them accountable,” Johnston stated.

Tardibono stated they hope to have the brand new jail up and operating inside the subsequent 5 years.