'Robust conversation' expected in upcoming jail trust meeting
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Interim CEO of the Oklahoma County Detention Center, Paul Timmons, is acknowledging systemic issues the jail continues to face.
"This is not going to be fixed overnight. But I think we're moving in the direction that we need to make things better here," said Timmons.
This year, seven inmates have died, staff shortages continue to surge, and the facility has failed another health inspection.
Timmons said there have been shortfalls along the way, but he believes in accountability and moving forward.
"The deaths are really unfortunate. And, you know, I probably take them more serious than most people realize that I do. We're doing what we can to be proactive as far as trying to recruit people to come to work here and make this a place where people want to come to work and make this place better," said Timmons.
The jail trust took over in 2020, but since then, some argue the leadership is no better than when the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office was in charge.
Timmons said he'd love to move into the new facility they're holding hope for, after voters approved a $260-million bond in 2022.
However, the trust is still looking for money to fully fund it, as the amount isn't enough.
New trust Chairman Steven Buck didn't say the trust is dissolving, but he did say it's time to review everything that's happened under their leadership over the past five years.
I personally believe that the status quo should be evaluated. Though it would be inappropriate for me to speculate what position or action any of my eight colleagues on the trust might take in response to items posted for consideration on the trust agenda, I do anticipate a robust conversation around initiating a performance review of the trust to inform us on the best path forward. The trust is five years old, and this milestone represents an appropriate time to ask questions and explore what, if any, changes should be recommended or pursued in the future. It is my personal hope that the conversation leads to structured process with tight timelines for the completion of a thorough review.
Jail trust Chairman Steven Buck
The last two scheduled trust meetings didn't happen. On Friday, we could learn more about the future of the trust.