Woman says she waited 36 hours for husband to be released on bond
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - More issues at the Oklahoma County Jail after a woman said her husband posted bond on June 3. However, it took another day and a half before he was released.
"I didn't just call for just my husband,” Elizabeth Cole said. “I called because it's an actual issue."
Cole said she feels it’s a problem shared with others in the community.
"It's just been a long wait,” she said.
The 36-hour wait for her husband, Mickel, to be released from jail on bond started after he was arrested on May 21. He had a warrant out and allegedly had a gun on him as a felon. He posted his bond Monday night and Cole said he was put on a release list the next morning. However, the wait continued. So, he started seeking answers from the inside.
"Some of them told me I'm on the list, but most of them just didn't care,” Mickel Cole said. "We had bedbugs. We had roaches everywhere."
On the outside, Elizabeth said she was told over the phone that they had to wait until another shift, or overnight for jail traffic to calm down.
"Any other response I got was getting hung up on,” she said.
In November, KFOR was told a system upgrade was to blame for the delay in inmate released. A month later, jail officials admitted it was an ongoing problem.
"It's inhumane,” Mickel Cole said.
They cited staffing issues and culture and hoped a change in leadership among other things might fix it. Elizabeth spoke to KFOR 30 minutes after Mickel’s long wait to be released. She said the questions are still there.
"I just want to know, what are the rules?” she said. "How much time is there that they have? Who can we call? What's the chain of command? Why is it that it took 36 hours?"
The OK Co. Jail released the following statement regarding the incident.
Our primary goal is to ensure that every release is conducted correctly and lawfully, protecting the rights of the individual and maintaining the safety of the public. While we understand that delays can be frustrating, these measures are in place to prevent any potential errors that could have significant consequences. Additional time taken is sometimes essential to verify all aspects of a resident’s release, ensuring it was carried out properly and safely.
Oklahoma County Detention Center