Oklahoma County Jail fails another surprise inspection, per 36-page report
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — According to a report from the Oklahoma State Department of Health, the Oklahoma County Detention Center failed another surprise inspection.
In the 36-page document, state health officials cited written complaints of bed bugs, roaches, and mice.
It also detailed staff members failing to provide inmates the opportunity to bathe at least three times each week.
Another page stated workers were not doing the required number of safety checks, especially on risk inmates, with some later dying.
Mark Faulk, with the People's County for Justice Reform, said the report is the worst he's seen out of the near dozen that have already been issued.
"These problems are not a problem of the building. These problems are a problem of poor management and unconstitutional management," said Faulk.
Faulk also added, "If this were a private business, it would have been shut down three to four years ago."
The inspection was done in May, as a follow-up for one previously conducted in December.
Interim CEO of the Oklahoma County Detention Center, Paul Timmons, sent News 4 a statement about the findings in the report.
We acknowledge the Oklahoma County Detention Center's recent health department inspection, a follow-up to December’s review, which was twice as extensive. This report underscores the pressing challenges we face and the urgency of addressing them. We are fully committed to moving forward with meaningful progress. Our team takes these findings seriously, working daily to not only resolve these issues but to implement lasting solutions. Our focus remains on continuous improvement of the facility and our operations.
Paul Timmons, Oklahoma County Detention Center
News 4 also reached out to the Oklahoma State Department of Health to see if they'd be stepping in to address the findings in the report further.
A spokesperson said next steps could include filing complaints with the Attorney General and District Attorney's Offices.