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OKLAHOMA COUNTY JAIL POPULATION FALLS TO LOWEST LEVEL IN YEARS
OKLAHOMA COUNTY (September 8, 2017) – For the first time in many years the Oklahoma County Jail population has dipped below 2,000. Today’s inmate count stands at 1,952 which is down significantly from a high of 2,427 inmates at the beginning of the year. This drop in population is the result of a number of programs implemented over the past several months. Those programs include working with agencies like Oklahoma City Police, the VERA Institute, and many others to allow inmates to be released sooner than in the past. We have also begun working with the State Mental Health Department to find options for treatment for mentally ill inmates which are not punitive but therapeutic.
“This is a result of our staff and the various members of the judicial system working together to solve a problem,” said Undersheriff P.D. Taylor. “We can’t control who comes in here but we can control the options at our disposal to get inmates through the system quicker and out of jail.”
In the near future, the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office will begin a new program which allows inmates to complete preliminary hearings by video from the jail. This significantly reduces the time between inmates’ booking and the time they are eligible for release. We have also begun to accept Oklahoma City bonds during holidays when their offices are closed.
All of these efforts are combining to reduce both the population and the amount of days spent incarcerated. The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office is happy with the progress of these programs and we are committed to continuing to find more ways to become more efficient.
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