1100 University Avenue Huntsville, Texas 77340 936-436-4910 . 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.. However it also noted that failure to secure funding does not release the County from the duty to provide constitutional conditions at the jail.. 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. He had been booked on June 28; Shawn Slavens was one month shy of his 46th birthday when staff responded to a fight inside a cell on June 25. We mourn any loss of life and always seek to protect the lives of our detainees and staff, Williams said. But he was a good person. Records show the jail now employs fewer detention officers to supervise prisoners than it did in 2008. 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. While being escorted by a detention officer Tuesday about 9:40 a.m. to the video hearing room in the Jail, the officer noticed that Jimmy Bedford (DOB 1-27-1967) did not seem . Ward was last seen sleeping in her bunk that morning, the report states. To say Im concerned or to say its concerning that just sounds like Im minimizing it, Prater said. The Oklahoma Medical Examiners office now has the body and will determine the cause of death. His jail cell was designed to hold just one person, but he shared it with two other men. Theres just too much evidence against you guys. Jail surveillance video shows Bishop outside his cell for recreation between 9:25 and 10:55 p.m. on Tuesday, the release states. 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. Federal inspectors found inadequate supervision and staffing at the jail, a lack of basic medical and mental health care, overcrowding and a high rate of inmate assaults and deaths. Requests for records can be made by completing and . His cellmate was charged with first-degree murder. The Frontier is again tracking every jail death in Oklahoma in 2020. He was pronounced dead 13 days later. Iski said there is no investigation pending into Reagans death and no foul play is suspected. Tweet Name: Christopher HetheringtonAge: 39Died: Jan. 15, 2020Location: LeFlore County Detention Center in Poteau. Joshua Rhett Miller. When the officer opened the cell, he saw the inmate had died, the report says. Some jail staff quit last year after the jail trust cracked down the use of physical force against prisoners, said one former detention officer who was fired by the new administration in 2020 after an altercation with an inmate who refused to return to his cell in order to take a shower. 0:04. I think that, honestly, if were meeting those standards its just barely, if at all, she said. Oklahoma County jail trust facing two new lawsuits. During the public comment portion of Mondays meeting, group member Christopher Johnston called for a federal takeover of the jail. Hes been named in court records as a witness to Lanes death. Lowe spent 100 days in a hospital while in custody of the jail. More: A new Oklahoma County jail has been proposed, but how will the county pay for it? Asked whether jail staff could do more to prevent drug-related deaths, Maughan said the problem is not unique to Oklahoma County. Cause and manner of death: Possible suicide by hanging, Location: David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center in Tulsa. And health care inside jails can vary widely. The current jail trust is transparent. The U.S. Army veteran had disclosed her post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression to jail staff, but was not being held in a mental health ward of the jail. Last week, officials from the U.S. Department of Justice visited the Oklahoma County jail for three days. Cause and manner of death: The state Medical Examiner determined Rhodes died from cardiac tamponade. Name: Lance SolomonAge: 55Died: Jan. 8, 2020Location: Logan Co. He reportedly also had a cut on the back of his head, the report states. The latter part of her remarks drew jeers from members of the Peoples Council for Justice Reform, a local activist group whose members frequently speak at jail trust meetings. Among the items discussed in executive session during the jail trusts April meeting were wrongful-death tort claims from the estates of Parker James Stephens and Gregory Davis. February 23, 2023 (19 years old) View obituary. But friends believe Lane shouldnt have been placed in a cell with Brown, who was charged with violent crimes. It not only saves the city of Tulsa time and money, but it gives the person an opportunity to pursue recovery, Beaumont said. 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. A detention officer at the Oklahoma County jail was fired Monday, one day after an inmate was found hanging in his cell. They raised concerns regarding conflicts of interest. 3:06. What happened: German was being held at the jail after police arrested her on suspicion of public intoxication on the Fourth of July. On July 31, the jail announced the death of Robert Dale Richards, 50. Beaumont said an example of a successful diversion program is the Tulsa Sobering Center, which diverts individuals suspected of public intoxication to a specialized treatment facility rather than the county jail. Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater is one county official who has little faith in Greg Williams or the jail trust. Her attorney, Cameron Spradling, provided the letter to The Frontier. 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. February 22, 2021 . The death was the second one in the week. Suing the trust and county commissioners on Jan. 3 in Oklahoma City federal court was an inmate's estate. Quintana-Lujan was booked into Maricopa County Jail on Sunday on suspicion of two counts of manslaughter, three counts of aggravated assault, 18 counts of endangerment and two counts of causing serious injury or death by a moving violation. Some outside audits have suggested it could take as many as 600 or 700 detention officers to fully staff the jail, said Tricia Everest, chairwoman of the trust that now oversees the jail. Oklahoma Watchs Paul Monies discusses the provisions of State Question 820 and how recreational marijuana got to a March 7 special election. According to jail officials, detainee Craig Weeks was discovered attempting suicide in his cell just before 1 p.m. Thursday. Women typically have a 7 percent higher mortality rate than men while incarcerated in city and county jails. Location: Oklahoma County Detention Center. Of the 148 Oklahoma inmate deaths identified in the Reuters investigation, 141 were awaiting trial and had not been convicted. 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. Our fight against contraband is multifaceted and ever-evolving. The death rates were 18 to 58 percent higher, depending upon the company.. During that same time period, the Tulsa County Jail saw 34 inmate deaths, while Cleveland County recorded seven deaths. * Include the Oklahoma Watch logo (found here). An initial investigation found Avelar may have died from a suicide. What happened: Austin was found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead on the scene by emergency responders. The sheriffs office declined The Frontiers open records request for quarterly reports it was required to file with the Department of Justice to track progress on improvements at the jail, stating the documents fell under an exemption for some law enforcement records. The frequency of deaths at the jail has been particularly high in the past couple of years. Original story: Reagan experienced a medical episode shortly after being booked into the jail, said District 25 District Attorney Carol Iski. Despite efforts by staff to revive him, Moore was pronounced dead. She was in the jail after failing to appear in court on a drug possession charge. Cause and manner of death: Suspected death by suicide. According to a report by Reuters, which analyzed data from the top five leading providers of jail health care services in the country, jails that contracted with outside vendors to provide health care typically had a higher mortality rate than those with services managed in-house. A detention officer serving breakfast was alerted to an unresponsive detainee inside a cell Wednesday morning, according to the news release. TheState Medical Examiners Office will make a final determination of the cause of Bishop's death. By the time detention officers arrived nearly an hour later, Lane was unresponsive. Sustain our journalism by becoming a supporter. We will update this page as more information is . He was probably thinking, somebody will come. I dont think its a case of dirty or bad detention officers its a huge problem nationally.. However, experts say a majority of inmate deaths are predictable and preventable. After temporarily loosening bail restrictions at the start of the pandemic, some state and local government officials are considering permanent reforms that could make long-term decareration possible. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The former head of Oklahoma's prison system was appointed Monday to the Oklahoma County Jail Trust. Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Prater said hes hopeful that Thorps investigation will lead to fewer deaths and dangerous situations at the jail, and he added that he doesnt think the planned new jail will necessarily solve the entire problem. Brewer is also accused of punching a male detainee in the head with a closed fist while the prisoner was using the toilet and refused to return to his cell. Brad did make bad choices in life no one is perfect, Oldham said. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business. In my experience, in this office for 16 years, Ive never seen anything like it in my life.. There have been at least 84 deaths at the Oklahoma County Detention Center since 2009, according to data compiled by The Frontier and an investigation into jail death rates by Reuters. The U.S. jail population declined 24% between June 2019 to June 2020, according to statistics compiled by the Vera Institute of Justice. Blumert said its not uncommon for the county to face lawsuits filed by the relatives of those who have died at the jail, or inmates who have been injured there. But the jail employs and is budgeted for fewer detention officers now than it was in 2008, when the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office employed 377 officers and was budgeted for 490 total employees, according to data the county reported to the Department of Justice that year. An inmate described as having a chronic health condition died Wednesday night at the Oklahoma County jail, 10 days after his arrest. Six detention officers at the Oklahoma County jail have been charged with assault and mistreatment of inmates since October. Oklahoma City Free Press is dedicated to providing high quality journalism that positively impacts our community. But it isnt possible without your support. Just after 4 p.m. local time, as medication was being given to the inmates, the officer was overpowered and taken . While being escorted by a detention officer Tuesday about 9:40 a.m. to the video hearing room in the Jail, the officer noticed that Jimmy Bedford (DOB 1-27-1967) did not seem . The inmate, Gabriel Yalartai, 40, died. 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. Updated: Sep 13, 2022 / 06:14 PM CDT. 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. Andy Ngo reports for the Post Millenial that "so far, six Antifa defendants took plea deals over their role in the attack and are awaiting sentencing. Emergency responders declared Taylor at the scene. Another inmate death has been reported at the Oklahoma County jail. Follow him on Twitter at @_KeatonRoss. The sheriff's office . 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. Federal court was an inmate described as having a chronic health condition died Wednesday night the! 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