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Public defender urges Oklahoma County to address jail staffing and overcrowding after mass arrests
Summary
At a special meeting of the Oklahoma County Budget Board a public defender appealed for more staffing and funding for the county jail, citing overcrowding, recent mass arrests and inmate deaths; no formal board action was taken during the meeting.
A public defender told the Oklahoma County Budget Board at a special meeting that the county jail is “in a dire situation” and urged county leaders to find funding and operational solutions after recent mass arrests strained booking and custody operations.
The public defender, identified in the meeting only as Bridgette, said the jail’s population was 1,582 and described floors and pods taken out of use because of mechanical problems. “If all of those pods were manned 24/7 … there would be 26 officers working in those pods. On nights and weekends in the Oklahoma County Jail, there are 6 officers working in the jail,” Bridgette said, arguing the staffing level made timely responses to medical or suicidal incidents impossible.
Bridgette…
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