Board members flag commissary prices, Benchmark contract and county jail funding shortfall

Members of the Oklahoma County Citizens Advisory Board questioned commissary pricing, asked for the vendor contract and asked the jail trust to press county leaders for increased funding to address staffing and maintenance shortfalls at the county jail.

A staff member told the board the detention center contracted with Benchmark for both food service and commissary. CAB member Jeff said residents provided examples of high commissary prices — a bar of soap listed at $10 and small food items at about $6 — and urged the board to review vendor pricing and procurement. Jeff also said community nonprofits have expressed interest in offering lower-cost options for detainee needs.

Jeff told the board he had reviewed jail financials and concluded the facility faces a $5 million to $6 million shortfall for the fiscal year; he described the county detention budget as roughly $40 million and said starting salaries for some positions have not kept pace with inflation. He urged the jail trust to press the county budget board for more funding and recommended the trust seek members who can influence county funding decisions. A staff member confirmed Benchmark is the contracted vendor for commissary and food services.

Board members asked staff to obtain a full commissary item and price list and to clarify whether commissary services were bid separately from food services. The board did not vote on budget approvals but discussed the financial implications of removing commissary and phone revenue — which a member estimated at about $1.8 million annually — from the facility’s revenue mix.

Why it matters: commissary pricing and vendor arrangements affect detainee living conditions and family financial burden; county-level budget shortfalls and staffing levels affect safety, operations and potential capital needs.