OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) Thursday, the death of a detainee in the Oklahoma County Detention Center or Jail was the ninth for the facility in 2021. Cause and manner of death: The state Medical Examiner determined German died because of acute methamphetamine intoxication. Those housed at the center are given 10 hours to sober up and receive immediate access to substance abuse treatment. The outcome of Thorps multi-county grand jury investigation remains unknown, but criminal indictments for those involved in the jails operation and management could be possible. 631. There were 14 deaths at the jail in 2021, according to Oklahoma State Department of Health Commissioner Keith Reed. The sheriff's office . By the time detention officers arrived nearly an hour . Reuters News investigation published last October, Deaths in Oklahomas largest county jails, 2017 report sponsored by the Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative, sued the Oklahoma Department of Corrections a year later, Oklahoma State Department of Health jail services division, hanged herself inside an Oklahoma County Jail cell, suspected of public intoxication to a specialized treatment facility, some state and local government officials are considering permanent reforms, members of the House narrowly rejected Senate Bill 252, Mexican Consulate in OKC Expected to Be Taking Appointments as Soon as May, Long Story Short: What Oklahomas Vote on Recreational Marijuana Entails, What To Know About SQ 820 and Legalizing Recreational Marijuana in Oklahoma, Oklahoma Considers Stiffer Petition Requirements for State Questions, Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, Long Story Short: What Oklahoma's Vote on Recreational Marijuana Entails, Oklahoma Lawmakers File 40 Anti-LGBTQ Bills, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. 0:15. Criticism of the troubled facility remains high amid issues with staffing and safety as some elected and appointed leadersadvocate for building a new jail. Deaths in Oklahomas largest county jails have trended upward over the past decade, an indication that some inmates arent receiving adequate medical and mental health care. Prater later recused himself from that investigation. Reagan again had a medical episode at the hospital, where he later died, Iski said. I know I had an attitude but that dude did me dirty.. But it isnt possible without your support. Were dealing with a fentanyl epidemic that has exploded nationally, and we have seen the impact here, he said. According to a Reuters News investigation published last October, 148 inmates housed in Oklahomas 11 largest county jails died from 2009 through 2019. When the sheriff had the jail, we as commissioners had a little more interaction. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The incident occured when the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office operated the detention center in 2019, but Brewer continued to work at the jail and wasnt charged in the incident until after the trust took over in 2020. Oklahoma County transitioned control of the jail from the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office to a public trust in July 2020 in hopes of reform, but problems have persisted. During that same time period, the Tulsa County Jail saw 34 inmate deaths, while Cleveland County recorded seven deaths. We should be investing in more mental health pods and psychiatric units, and minimizing the amount of time an individual spends in general population if theyre screened to have a mental illness and be suicidal, Beaumont said. Detainees that are complying with security protocols are given access to the dayrooms and showers throughout the day as conditions permit that access to be safe for both detainees and staff, Williams said in response to The Frontiers questions about the issue. Thats not even a strong enough description of how I feel. TPD has requested that the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation investigate Wards death. Loveless had been booked into the jail on June 12; In the early morning hours of June 9, staff passing out breakfasts found an un-named man unresponsive in his cell after an apparent suicide. Brad did make bad choices in life no one is perfect, Oldham said. 30-year-old Austin Bishop died Wednesdayafter lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful, according to the release. Among those who die in jail by suicide, the median time from booking to death was just nine days, according to the data compiled by Prison Policy Initiative. The woman later recounted the alleged assault in a letter from jail to her father. Tweet He was found Feb. 26 unresponsive in his cell by staff doing routine checks. But the real question we should be asking is what can we do to prevent people from ending up in a jail cell in the first place.. Updated. Name: Michael GuthrieAge: 47Died: Jan. 13, 2020Location: Muskogee County JailCause and manner of death: UndeterminedWhat happened: Guthrie was assaulted by another inmate on January 3, and taken to a hospital for treatment according to KTUL. Reagan became unresponsive, the report states. Because the Oklahoma County Jails design doesnt allow for direct supervision of inmates at all times by staff, they are monitored remotely by video cameras and during regular rounds through the facility. It was impossible to be bored around him, Oldham said. Guthrie was treated at the hospital, cleared and released back to custody. There are more than 354,000 Oklahomans who identified as having Mexican heritage in the last census count, most of whom will finally be able to take advantage of consular services without traveling to Little Rock. As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. We work closely with our medical provider to identify detainees with severe physical and mental health issues, and alert the courts to help facilitate their release when appropriate.. Jailers reported that German was behaving erratically and suspected she was still under the influence of methamphetamine more than 24 hours after her arrest. The Oklahoma County Jail saw four deaths in 2020, according to The Frontier, and six in 2019. Lane was facing multiple criminal charges at the time of his death, including possession of a stolen vehicle, drug possession and reckless driving. But cell doors throughout most of the facility have faulty doors and locking mechanisms that prisoners can easily rig to open to move around freely in their housing units and maybe even sneak in an unsanctioned shower. Theyll finally come. He was pronounced dead 13 days later. Location: Oklahoma County Jail in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma Watchs Paul Monies discusses the provisions of State Question 820 and how recreational marijuana got to a March 7 special election. Along with our new body scanner, weve modernized intake procedures to better spot contraband. Just after 4 p.m. local time, as medication was being given to the inmates, the officer was overpowered and taken . Administrators at the Oklahoma County Detention Center addressed the death of an inmate during a hostage situation and problems the jail is facing. During the public comment portion of Mondays meeting, group member Christopher Johnston called for a federal takeover of the jail. His cellmate, Shaquile D Shaun Brown (left), confessed after being taken to a hospital for a mental assessment, the Oklahoma State . When the officer opened the cell, he saw the inmate had died, the report says. The U.S. jail population declined 24% between June 2019 to June 2020, according to statistics compiled by the Vera Institute of Justice. Whoops! By the time detention officers arrived nearly an hour later, Lane was unresponsive. verizon 5g home internet review 2021 100 Sulphur Springs, Brunswick, GA 31520 Phone: 912-554-7600 Fax: 912-267-5654 Glynn County Sheriff's Office Open Records Request Records/reports regarding inmates, offenders and other related information can be obtained Glynn County Sheriff's Office. May 17, 2021. Five of the six detention officers who now face criminal charges were involved in uses of force against prisoners who left their cells to shower or use the toilet without permission from detention officers, according to court records and interviews. Original story: Reagan experienced a medical episode shortly after being booked into the jail, said District 25 District Attorney Carol Iski. What happened: Solomon arrived at the jail in 2015 and was set to be sentenced for a conviction of first-degree murder the week he died. It also means that person is not having to sober up in a jail cell where there might be additional psychological stress that could prompt a mental health episode.. Theres just too much evidence against you guys. TPD has opened an investigation into her death, Tuell said. There were 14 deaths at the jail in 2021, according to Oklahoma State Department of Health Commissioner Keith Reed. District 2 County Commissioner Brian Maughan said that while its important to take each death seriously, there are a variety of factors that contribute to fatalities. What happened: Knox tested positive for Covid-19, but also had other health conditions and was undergoing dialysis at the time of his death, according to Oklahoma County officials. Solomon became ill at the jail and was taken to an Oklahoma City hospital where he died a month later, according to the state Medical Examiner. We had several lawsuits against the county for things involved in the jail. Nationwide, there were 1,120 deaths reported, or a rate of 154 deaths per 100,000 people in jail, the highest levels since BJS' first report on this topic in 2000. In the 19 months since January 2021, records indicate 26 inmates have died more than one-third of the total from the 10 previous years. He was charged in September 2019 with assault and battery upon an emergency medical care worker. What happened: Jailers found Alexander unresponsive on the floor of a jail day room. For the staff that we have today, we have zero tolerance of any kind of hands-on force on the detainees, Everest said. Medical staff continued resuscitation efforts until Oklahoma City firefightersarrived and took over, according to the statement. Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine a light on darkness in Oklahoma? Email Kassie@readfrontier.com or brianna@readfrontier.com. For Oklahoma County voters, one of the most notable items on the ballot is a $260 million bond proposal to fund construction of a new county jail. Oklahoma County has no dedicated sales tax to fund jail operations. The letter was provided to The Frontier by Spradling, who said he is weighing legal action on behalf of prisoners subjected to the Baby Shark punishment, which he equated to torture. The Sheriff's Office can be found at 202 Haywood Street, Asheville, North Carolina, 28801. The pay is low, about $3,000 a month, and working conditions can be dangerous. The prisoner needed 12 staples in his scalp to close the wounds, according to court documents. Location: Oklahoma County Detention Center in Oklahoma City. After the third repeat I wanted to scream, Newell wrote. As with many jobs, it takes real-time experience in the field for each person to figure out if he or she is cut out for a career in this field., Prisoners can rig their cell doors open in order to take a shower. On July 5, jail administrator Greg Williams presented the jail trust with his monthly report. Another former jail prisoner, Brandon Newell, said in a letter from prison that Miles and Butler also forced him to listen to Baby Shark on repeat as punishment after he rigged his cell door to open. According to the panel, slow response time is the greatest contributor to inmate deaths from illness. On Oct. 22, 2015, 26-year-old Terral Ellis, Jr. died of sepsis and pneumonia after staff at the Ottawa County Jail mocked him and ignored his pleas for medical attention for several hours. That suit cost the county $1.1 million. Women typically have a 7 percent higher mortality rate than men while incarcerated in city and county jails. We always take it seriously when people die in our jail. I dont know anyone involved that takes that lightly. The agreement acknowledged that Oklahoma County did not have sufficient funding to adequately staff or make improvements to jail and would need to ask voters to approve a tax increase or financing. A detention officer at the Oklahoma County jail was fired Monday, one day after an inmate was found hanging in his cell. To say Im concerned or to say its concerning that just sounds like Im minimizing it, Prater said. On July 31, the jail announced the death of Robert Dale Richards, 50. Friend Staci Baumann said Lane struggled with depression and used drugs to escape. Quintana-Lujan told officer he shared a marijuana cigarette the night before, according to the document. Oklahoma Countys agreement with the Department of Justice required it to hire enough staff so that each jail housing unit or pod would have at least one detention officer to continuously monitor prisoners. Under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act, the Department of Justice has the power to file lawsuits on behalf of jail and prison inmates in order to compel state and local governments to provide humane living conditions. The jails combined had an average annual mortality rate of 2.16 deaths per 1,000 inmates, the second highest in the nation behind West Virginia. The Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office reported 254 cases of prisoners assaulting detention officers in 2018. Were en route to losing 20 to 24 this year. Gregory Davis, 53 (DOB 5-10-68), who was alone in his cell, was found unresponsive by jail staff who were making a mental health check at 9:12 a.m. Thursday, August 12. Last year The Frontier reported that many rural jails are far from treatment facilities, and have not received any funds from State Question 781, an approved 2016 ballot initiative which promised to allocate money saved from reduced prison costs to community mental health and substance abuse programs. The Oklahoma County jail in Oklahoma City is pictured on May 11, 2022. In the meantime, the current building and its management remain beset by the problems that prompted the need for a new jail in the first place. They have a lot more liberty to do what they want because so many officers have either left and went to another job or resigned or have just been fired, the man said. With five months left in 2022, this years current total of 12 is likely to grow. There are members of the trust who are county officers who are advised and represented by our office at times, Prater told The Oklahomans Nolan Clay. She was in the jail after failing to appear in court on a drug possession charge. State oversight of local jails is minimal. The U.S. Department of Justice has repeatedly documented dangerous conditions at the jail that it found violated prisoners civil rights since at least 2003, but the agency has failed to enforce the terms of a settlement requiring the county to adequately fund and staff the facility. One expert, Dr. Kenneth Ray, called the administration a competent and motivated leadership team.. Did we miss an incident or would you like to talk to us about one listed below? For drug overdoses, the median time is one day, and for inmates murdered by other inmates, the median time is 29 days from booking to death. Share. Oklahoma City Free Press is dedicated to providing high quality journalism that positively impacts our community. The Department of Justice was on site for about three days, and they brought several experts in the mental health field, medical field and in detention facilities, said Williams, who serves as outside counsel for the trust. Name: Michael Reagan Jr.Age: 44Died: Jan. 13, 2020Location: Okmulgee County Criminal Justice AuthorityCause and manner of death: UndeterminedWhat happened: Updated story, Jan. 15, 2020: Reagan appeared to be having a seizure in his cell on January 13, according to an incident report jail staff sent to the state jail inspector. The trust voted on Friday to ask the county for $5.9 million in funding to repair the doors and locks as well as to fix or replace other aging equipment at the jail. Thursday morning . No member of the trust questioned Williams on the circumstances of the deaths. In some cases, there were prosecutions of jail staff, and I will point out that is a small minority of people that work at the jail.. The livestreamed trial has chronicled Murdaugh's spectacular downfall from the wealthy scion of a respected and powerful legal dynasty to an admitted pill-popper and thief who is alleged to have . And to avoid any appearance of impropriety, I voluntarily disqualified our office.. Name: Lance SolomonAge: 55Died: Jan. 8, 2020Location: Logan Co. The death rates were 18 to 58 percent higher, depending upon the company.. a doctor declared Gonzales deceased at 4:57 p.m.The cause of death is unknown at this time.Gonzales was booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on Oct. 16, 2021. The last time he was seen outside of his cell was at 11:14 p.m. Bishop was booked into the jail on June 6, 2021, on charges of first-degreemurder and second-degree murder, according to the Oklahoma State Courts Network. An inspection report from the National Institute of Corrections also found phones that were not working in the medical unit. The jail trust said it has hired 103 new detention officers and clerical staff since it took over in July, but turnover is a constant problem, jail administrator Greg Williams said in written responses to The Frontiers questions. He kept saying hes killing me, help me, hes killing me, said Christopher Autrey, who was held in a cell on the 13th floor near Lane. In 2021, Prater received permission to impanel a grand jury to investigate, among other things, lethal uncorrected mismanagement of the Oklahoma County Jail under the supervision of the jail trust. What happened: A Broken Bow police officer discovered Dabbs unresponsive in a holding cell. Inmate death is 5th of 2021 at Oklahoma County jail. Im sick and tired of it is the best way I can put it.. Oklahoma City's award-winning independent news, Oklahoma County Jail has ninth death so far this year, First Person Paula Sophia Manhood, from the inside out, OKC Law Enforcement Task Force looks at police-community reform recs, Manhood from the inside out part 23 Crash Landing, Pilot street outreach program approved by OKC City Council, City Council approves new 9 p.m. Bricktown curfew time for minors, Oklahoma County Jail detainee dies in local hospital, Commissioners appoint state leader to Okla County Jail Trust, Rape kit backlog persists at state level but is cleared in City of OKC, Moore City Council approves recycling ballot measure. Autrey spoke to The Frontier in a video call from the jail, where he is being held on property and drug-related charges. Cell, he said recounted the alleged assault in a holding cell are given 10 to! 2020, according to the oklahoma county jail deaths 2021 in a video call from the Institute! 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