Mark Oplgrand, a representative of the Oklahoma County Detention Center, told the Citizens Advisory Board that the jail’s December snapshot showed meaningful operational improvements and several planned changes.

Oplgrand said the facility’s population was 1,481 with 97 people in judgment-and-sentence status awaiting transfer to the Department of Corrections. “We have gotten that number down … from about 225 in September/October to 97,” he said, attributing the decline to coordination with DOC and the county’s purchase of three transport vans. Average daily population fell month to month, which he said eased pressure on operations.

The presentation detailed staffing and security moves. Oplgrand said an active detention officer academy started with 13 recruits and now has nine; he called early attrition preferable to losing officers after assignment. He said recruitment relies on online job listings and word-of-mouth, with a possible next academy around May 1. Security upgrades include additional razor wire and food-port door modifications on about 25 doors per floor; the jail is also rolling out new staff desktops for the first time in about five-and-a-half years.

On medical operations, Oplgrand said the jail added 31 medical staff since October (17 temporary through a contract with Total Medical and 14 regular hires). He highlighted a sharp drop in overdose interventions: “In December ’24, we administered 20 Narcan. In December ’25, we did 3 total,” he said, adding that two of the three were administered by non-nursing staff before medical arrived. December also had 34 ER send-outs and nine inmates accounting for 50 hospital days. Oplgrand reported 1,752 sick-call requests and 2,629 mental-health encounters in December.

Investigations staff opened and closed 29 cases, and Oplgrand said intensified cell searches have produced fewer narcotics and contraband finds over time. He described a recent large intake detection where methamphetamine and marijuana were discovered inside an individual via the body scanner.

Oplgrand discussed technology and resident programs. NCIC, the telephone and tablet provider, previously supplied 750 tablets; the jail is negotiating for 750 more at no direct cost and aims for a 1:1 tablet-to-resident ratio to reduce hoarding, damage and use of devices as currency. He said NCIC provides an on-site monitor and that the devices remain NCIC property while the jail controls distribution and monitoring.

Board members asked follow-up questions about academy retention, why public-intoxication did not appear in the top-10 charges this month, and the status of a contract with Oklahoma City to settle per-diem payments. Oplgrand said the trust approved a contract to send to Oklahoma City and that the city had verbally agreed to proposed rates; a board member quoted the proposed amounts as $171 for the first day and $71.36 for the second day. Oplgrand said arrears for the year had not been paid yet but that the jail expects to recoup funds once a contract is finalized.

On litigation and release timing, a board member raised two new federal lawsuits involving delayed releases (people remaining in custody five days after a judge ordered release). Oplgrand said he could not comment on filed lawsuits but that administration had implemented procedures to aim for releases within a 12-hour window when possible.

The board’s discussion closed with Oplgrand noting program rollouts (pathways and task-based programming) and the planning required to control and monitor expanded tablet access. The board did not take a formal vote on operational recommendations; the presentation served as an informational update.