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Citizens advisory board: inmates report 4 a.m. breakfasts, pricey commissary and desire for more programming
Summary
A Citizens Advisory Board report to the Oklahoma County Justice Authority said inmates praised hot breakfasts but complained that many receive breakfast at about 4:00 a.m., face long stretches between meals, find commissary items expensive and low-quality, and want more books, tablets and religious/programming access.
A Citizens Advisory Board representative reported on June 8 that inmates at the Oklahoma County detention center praised some changes — including hot breakfasts and improved cleanliness — but raised recurring complaints about meal timing, commissary prices and a lack of programming.
"Breakfast is delivered at 4:00 a.m.," Miss Inki told trustees after the focus-group visits, adding that lunch often arrives near 10:00 a.m. and evening meals are distributed as brown bags. She said residents criticized stale bread, repetitive peanut-butter items and expensive commissary offerings that break quickly.
Focus-group feedback included specific commissary concerns: a handheld radio that costs about $90 including fees and taxes and failed soon after purchase, and energy- or snack-type items (referred to as EIGs in the report) that cost about $27 and last only a short time, according to attendees. Inmates also asked for hair-care products suitable for Black hair, more books and two clothing changes per week instead of one.
Miss Inki and CAB members said the group had an unscheduled visit to the detention center's mental-health unit and described conversations with mental-health professionals as positive. "They're doing incredible work," she said, adding that staff focus on those on suicide watch and provide follow-up mental-health rotations for residents who request services.
CAB members said tablets are expected to return in July and that volunteer and religious programming remains a frequent request. Trustees and staff acknowledged the concerns; Mr. Aldridge and others said they had already followed up on some items (for example, addressing the bread issue) after the CAB visits.
The Trust heard the CAB update as an informational item; no formal policy changes were adopted at the meeting. CAB leaders announced upcoming focus groups and a citizens advisory board meeting in mid-June and invited trustees to participate.
