On Wednesday afternoon, the Oklahoma County Prison Justice Authority met for 2 hours to make up for an unlawful assembly held Monday.
Earlier than Monday’s assembly, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Coalition In opposition to Individuals Abuse (OCAPA) held a quick press convention relating to a swimsuit that has been filed towards the County for his or her actions on Monday.
The Belief then met and dealt with all orders of enterprise from the deserted assembly agenda for the earlier assembly. The Belief renewed its settlement with County Clerk David B. Hooten to behave as Secretary of the Belief. The Belief went on to listen to reviews from the Jail CEO Greg Williams and agreed to rent a marketing consultant at an quantity to not exceed $20,000.
Authorities based on columnist Marty Peercy
Lawsuit
Earlier than Wednesday’s assembly, Christopher Johnston, spokesman for the Oklahoma Coalition In opposition to Individuals Abuse, briefed the press a few lawsuit filed within the District Court docket on Tuesday by Michael Washington. Washington is an area activist recognized for his charismatic performances at Metropolis Council and County conferences. Washington can also be recognized for submitting lawsuits professional se towards native governments.
Johnston mentioned that the lawsuit stemmed from the violations of the Open Conferences Act, Open Data Act, and different constitutional violations created by the Belief’s and County Clerk’s negligence and incompetence.
Do-Over
Throughout Monday’s embarrassing and unprofessional assembly – when many members of the general public and the press had been saved from accessing the proceedings in particular person and nearly – the Belief voted to recess till such a time because the “technological issues” had been solved and now not prohibited the physique from compliance with the Open Conferences Act.
On Wednesday, the Belief reconvened at 3:00 p.m. Trustees Sue Ann Arnall, Francie Ekwerekwu, and Sheriff Tommie Johnson, III had been all in particular person on the Courthouse Annex for the assembly. Different Trustees joined nearly to combined impact.
After calling the assembly to order, Chair Tricia Everest mentioned that every one gadgets of the agenda had been the identical because the agenda for Monday.
County Clerk
One formal little bit of enterprise earlier than the Belief on Wednesday was a memorandum of understanding between the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) on behalf of the County Clerk, and the Belief. The County Clerk, David B. Hooten, in his function as Clerk additionally performs the practical duties of the Secretary of the Belief.
On Wednesday the Belief authorized the MOU at a price of compensation of $1800 per thirty days, or $21,600 yearly.
Throughout the dialogue of the MOU, native activist Sara Bana requested the Trustees what can be achieved to unravel the stress between the Clerk’s Workplace and members of the Belief. She particularly referred to as out members of Hooten’s workers who might be heard throughout Monday’s assembly saying “Shut up,” whereas Adriana Legal guidelines spoke.
To be taught extra: County Clerk’s workplace explains tech probs, ‘shut up’ from Jail Belief assembly
Neither Trustees nor Clerk’s workers responded to Bana’s feedback.
The MOU handed unanimously.
Marketing consultant
David Parker is the previous director of the Tulsa County Jail. He has been in discussions with CEO Greg Williams and a few members of the Belief for the reason that Belief took over the Detention Middle final July.
Parker’s administration and packages on the Tulsa Jail have been a lot lauded by some members of the Belief, together with Williams and Sue Ann Arnall.
Williams defined to Trustees that Parker had no want to return to working in a jail or a jail, however reasonably needed to pursue his personal personal pursuits. Regardless of, or maybe due to that, Parker has agreed to offer a consulting function with the Jail.
The Belief had earlier than them an settlement for consulting companies at a price of $110 for 160 hours.
Sheriff Johnson expressed moral considerations about open bidding, asking if the Belief had thought of every other specialists earlier than approaching Parker. He requested how Parker’s funding in options might be measured.
Arnall, for her half, personally vouched for Parker, who she says she has recognized him for a variety of years. She mentioned he’s a person of character.
The Belief voted in favor of hiring the marketing consultant, with solely the Sheriff voting towards.
Resignation Demand
Throughout public touch upon the hiring of a marketing consultant, native enterprise proprietor and candidate for State Democratic Occasion Chair, Sean Cummings addressed Everest.
Cummings mentioned the Belief was falling into the “Marketing consultant Entice,” whereby a public physique begins a cycle of paying consultants to be taught what they don’t know.
Cummings then learn aloud a letter he had written to Everest.
In his letter, Cummings complimented Everest on her a few years of public service, calling out particularly her time working with Palomar and her management of their efforts. He went on, nevertheless, to say that what he has seen underneath Everest’s management of the Jail Belief is disturbing.
Cummings listed unsafe overcrowding throughout a labor scarcity, bedbug and different infestations, no-bid contracts to out of state companies, un-transparent CARES Act spending, a current hostage scenario, and now an Open Conferences violation.
Cummings concluded by saying that whereas he likes what Everest has achieved for town, he doesn’t really feel like she is fitted to the job of chairing the Belief.
“We haven’t seen incremental enchancment,” Cummings mentioned. “I humbly ask to your resignation.”
Jail Operations
CEO Greg Williams gave his normal report on the operations of the Jail, saying, as at all times, that staffing and retention are problems with paramount significance.
Williams mentioned that not too long ago the Jail has employed 14 new recruits, however have additionally had 9 resignations.
The Detention Middle now has a recruitment bonus incentive. When a workers member refers one other recruit who works out, the referring workers member receives a money bonus.
New workers are employed at a price of $3,001 per thirty days. After 90 days of profitable work on the facility, they obtain a elevate of $123 per thirty days. After a yr, they get one other elevate of $302 per thirty days.
COVID
Williams mentioned that within the final seven days, 209 detainees have been examined for COVID 19 and just one particular person has examined optimistic.
Since taking on the Jail, they’ve examined 8,279 detainees with 349 optimistic circumstances.
The Jail was vaccinating detainees, primarily with the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. However, for the reason that CDC and FDA have issued warnings about blood clots in a small portion of vaccinated adults, the Jail has ceased administering the vaccine.
As of April 12, when the Jail stopped administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, 930 individuals had been vaccinated.
The Jail inhabitants depend as of Wednesday noon was 1478 with 109 awaiting transportation to the Division of Corrections.
The Jail Belief will meet once more on Might 17, at 1:00 p.m.
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Final Up to date April 21, 2023, 8:42 PM by Brett Dickerson – Editor
The submit Jail Belief manages to carry cohesive assembly in do-over from Monday appeared first on Oklahoma Metropolis Free Press.
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