Lawmaker calls for 'outside' investigation into DOC after assault claims
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - During Wednesday’s House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee meeting at the Capitol, Representative J.J. Humprey called for an outside investigation into the Department of Corrections.
He said Governor Kevin Stitt or Attorney General Gentner Drummond needed to request an investigation, from out of state source, to address abuse happening behind prison walls.
“We’ve had a lot of controversy in the DOC,” said Humphrey. “We’re trying to get to the bottom of many things.”
Two family members of inmates in state prisons spoke during the meeting. Both claimed their family members were assaulted, even raped, while incarcerated.
Shaykia Ross detailed beatings her brother, Carolos, suffered while at Dick Connor Correctional Center.
"The first day they {inmates} beat him with padlocks and it was 20 of them that jumped on him,” said Ross. “The second day, they stabbed him two times. The third day, that's when they did a recording."
Violent viral video of the third beating showed the group beating the cornered inmate. Ross said they tied her brother’s arms and legs together before tattooing the word “void” across his forehead. Ross said she saw the video and immediately called the correctional center.
"They stated my brother was okay. I said ‘my brother is not okay,’" said Ross.
She said her brother was eventually taken to the hospital and suffered broken ribs, a broken nose, and needed surgery on both eyes.
Another woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said inmates at one prison started extorting her for thousands of dollars in order to keep her family member from being repeatedly raped.
"This is just horrendous,” said Humphrey. “It's horrendous."
The Department of Corrections sent KFOR a statement regarding the comments made during the committee meeting:
“The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is driven by its mission: to protect the public, the employee, and the inmate/offender. Our dedicated staff work tirelessly to safeguard everyone in their care, including their fellow employee. This includes stopping the introduction of contraband, rendering medical aid, performing facility checks, and much more.
We take all incidents seriously. Within 45 minutes of the incident involving Carlos Ross, all suspects were identified and relocated to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, a maximum-security facility, and our Office of Inspector General launched an investigation into the incident. Carlos was immediately assessed and transported to the hospital for medical treatment. His medical assessment and treatment were typical for ODOC’s high standard of medical care.
Once returned from the hospital, Dick Conner Correctional Center placed Ross in a protected housing unit until he could be moved into protective custody at another facility. Ross’s incident was directly tied to his involvement in a security threat group. He is currently incarcerated on drug-related charges.
Since implementing a stricter misconduct policy at the direction of Executive Director Steven Harpe, there has been a sharp decline in inmate-on-inmate serious incidents. The data also shows that violence has trended down over the last few months due to our strategic population moves, which reduces violence between security threat groups.
ODOC is transparent in its operations. When incidents occur, they are swiftly handled, ensuring the safety of everyone involved. If criminal activity does occur within a facility, it is thoroughly investigated, and those involved are held accountable for their actions.”