Oklahoma County Detention Center faces budget shortfall, threatens operations

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority (OCCJA) announced Friday that the Oklahoma County Detention Center (OCDC) faces a serious budget deficit, which would leave the detention center without proper operating funding.

This could happen as soon as August 1, according to officials.

OCCJA says that the budget projections revealed a $5.8 million gap in funding between anticipated revenues and essential expenses for the remainder of the financial year.

Projections show a total annual revenue of $38.8 million, which consists of:

• $33.7 million from the Oklahoma County General Fund
• $5.1 million in Special Revenue (contracts with the Department of Corrections, municipal inmate fees, commissary sales, and phone revenue)

Projected expenses total $44.7 million, which is said to be driven by "unavoidable costs of operating the county's only detention facility."

• Payroll & Benefits for 392 Full-Time Employees: $30.2 million
• Maintenance & Operations: $13.4 million
• Capital Needs: $1 million
• Travel and Training Expenses: $44,000

The high fixed costs for running an aging and overcrowded facility, rising inmate healthcare needs, court-mandated safety staffing, and maintenance expenses are what have led to the financial burden, according to OCCJA leaders.

This comes a week after News 4 reported that the detention center had failed another surprise inspection, which happened in May as a follow-up to a December inspection. In a 36-page document, officials with the Oklahoma State Department of Health cited written complaints of bed bugs, roaches, and mice.

Details also state that the staff members failed to provide inmates opportunity to bathe at least three times a week. Workers were also said to not be doing the required amount of safety checks, including risk inmates, with some of those inmates having died later on.

This isn't the only time that OCDC has failed surprise inspections.

“These numbers are not abstract accounting exercises,” said Paul Timmons, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the Oklahoma County Detention Center. “This is about whether we can pay our staff, maintain basic safety and sanitation, and meet the legal obligations to everyone housed in our facility. Our dedicated team of detention officers, medical staff, and support personnel work hard every single day under extremely challenging conditions. They deserve to know that we will fight to secure the resources needed to support them and keep everyone safe.”

OCCJA believes that the available operating funds will be exhausted by July 31 if the facility does not receive new funding or emergency support.

“We want to be transparent with the public and our partners in county government,” said Steven Buck, Chairman of the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority. “That’s why the Trust voted to actively engage with the Board of County Commissioners to discuss realistic solutions, funding strategies, and the ongoing direction of the Authority. It is absolutely in the public’s interest that these conversations happen openly, with urgency, and with full accountability to all residents of Oklahoma County who rely on us to ensure safety, security, and operational excellence at the jail.”