Advisory board hears detainee complaints about commissary, programming and staffing; Tulsa jail model under review

Members of the Oklahoma County Citizens Advisory Board heard a detailed summary of a Feb. 20 detention-center focus group, which captured complaints and praise from residents and staff about conditions, programming and services.

The chair summarized feedback from the men's pod: residents welcomed a kiosk that accepts requests after 4 p.m. but remain frustrated by lack of tablet access, small and unsatisfying meal portions, limited reading material and restricted weekend out-of-cell time that interferes with family visits. The chair also relayed repeated requests for grooming products suitable for Black hair, safe mirrors or more barber time and better privacy when speaking with attorneys.

"They indicated that they are still frustrated that they don't have access to the tablets," the chair said when reporting resident comments. Board members said programming had been suspended for nearly six weeks but would resume the following week.

Members discussed book donations and how donated materials are distributed. A board member urged staff to clarify the distribution process. Another member pressed for an itemized agenda item on commissary contracting and pricing; concerns included the vendor's product choices and the high cost inmates face for basic items.

An agency official who toured the Tulsa County Jail said Tulsa operates a horizontal facility with an in-house commissary and noted that model can cut operating costs by roughly 25 percent. "Their funding total funding, including their commissary, runs around $10,000,000 more a year than we have here," the official said, adding he would obtain exact commissary revenue figures for the board.

The women's pod reported notable improvements compared with prior stays in cleanliness, disinfectant availability, faster booking and increased recreation time, but residents said programming listed on paper had not been offered and that phone calls remain limited to 15 minutes a day. One resident reported receiving an old noodle dish from the kitchen.

Staff Sergeant Cummings, assigned to the medical floor, told the group she has worked at the detention center three years and has seen visible improvement under new leadership, but she said the medical floor currently has two detention officers on duty where seven would be ideal.

Board members asked staff to gather more details: a list of unfilled positions from jail administration, the jail's policies and procedures (requested by a board member who had not yet received them), and more data on commissary operations and revenue. The next detention-center focus group was scheduled for Friday, March 27 at 2 p.m.

The board's discussion emphasized that some resident concerns appear tied to staffing shortages and contracting arrangements; members urged follow-up and additional reporting from jail administration and staff.