County jail officials report higher medical claims and push for detention‑officer pay increases to improve retention

County corrections leaders and benefits staff updated commissioners on October finances, medical claims and staffing pressures at the Oklahoma County Detention Center (OCDC), and requested a pay plan aimed at improving retention.

Mister Wilkerson reported medical claims through October are up about 25% (roughly $1.8 million) primarily because the county’s EMR began paying claims incurred in July, creating timing lag; after accounting for stop‑loss and increased pharmacy rebates the net increase is about 2% and within budget, he said. Wilkerson also said county pharmacy use is growing: the program saw 940 prescriptions in February (about $132,000) and 1,531 in October (about $452,000), and staff are marketing the service to broader county use.

Mister Kimrey and OCDC leadership told the board the jail currently lists about 340 employees with an additional 11 contracted medical staff and 33 contracted safety‑check staff (VHS). Kimrey said the jail is still short roughly 60–70 officers and is losing about 10–12 officers per month while graduating about 12–14 per academy class. He asked for a pay increase that would raise starting pay for detention officers to about $50,000 and provide across‑the‑board raises of roughly 7.5–14.5%, which Kimrey estimated would cost about $3.4 million annually. An alternative proposal limited to detention officers was estimated at $1.7 million per year (half that if implemented mid‑fiscal year).

Commissioners asked how many recruits have signed up for the accelerated academy; Kimrey said about 11 had signed up for a January class and staff hope to start with 25 to graduate about 15.

CFO Stevie Hampton reviewed OCDC October expense variances: salaries and benefits were under budget (~$181,380 under), but professional services were over budget by about $1.64 million, and some legal fees were elevated to retain outside counsel related to an ongoing case. Hampton also said revenue from contract boarding with a city exceeded prior budget assumptions; negotiations with that city were unsuccessful on Nov. 17, and the county expects to ask the trust board to act in December.

Commissioners and staff discussed the boarding rate: commissioners cited an MGT audit figure of $1.92 per inmate day while city negotiators offered $1.66 per day, and county staff said the city was holding firm at $1.66. The county will continue outreach to resolve where those inmates will be placed if an agreement is not reached.

No final pay decision was made. Staff requested the board consider the pay proposals and associated budget impacts; county staff said they will return with further detail as needed.