PAWNEE, Okla. (KFOR) – All of Oklahoma County’s juvenile inmates who’re charged with First Diploma Homicide at the moment are being housed on the Pawnee County jail after the Oklahoma County Jail misplaced its certification to deal with juveniles earlier this month.
“They’ll hit this proper right here. It is truly bought a speaker the place they will speak to whoever’s within the tower,” Pawnee County Sheriff Darrin Varnell mentioned, whereas exhibiting Information 4 the Pawnee County Jail.
Sheriff Varnell gave KFOR a tour of the jail two days after Pawnee County agreed to deal with Oklahoma County’s juveniles charged with First Diploma Homicide.
“Right here is the system the place they will video go to with their household, order all their commissary stuff by that. In addition they have the flexibility to ship e-mail messages forwards and backwards all by this. That approach, it saves the households from having to drive forwards and backwards,” Varnell mentioned through the tour.
When the Oklahoma County Jail misplaced their certification to deal with juveniles earlier this month, the jail belief began their seek for one other facility to deal with the 11 juveniles they presently have who’re all charged with Homicide 1.
In keeping with a press release launched by Oklahoma County’s jail administrator Greg Williams, “We contacted round 65 housing services within the state of Oklahoma, and the Pawnee County Detention Heart is the one one which meets the wants of our juvenile youthful offender inmates.”
“To them, our jail is the 4 Seasons, in comparison with what they’ve,” Chief Deputy Nick Mahoney, with the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Workplace, mentioned.
It’s no secret that the Oklahoma County Jail has been plagued with critical issues for years.
The Oklahoma State Division of Well being discovered a protracted listing of “repeat deficiencies” following a latest inspection, together with a mattress bug infestation, inmates not being fed three meals a day and juvenile inmates solely seeing employees throughout time for supper.
“One in all them made the remark as quickly as he walked in, it does not stink in right here,” Mahoney mentioned.
Pawnee County additionally has the area to honor a state requirement that juveniles need to be separated by sight and sound from the grownup inmates, which is one thing Oklahoma County was not capable of do.
“It’s a household ambiance right here, even with our inmates, and we attempt to deal with all people as household and so, our meals is sweet. We maintain the ability clear. We maintain it smelling good,” Mahoney mentioned. “It makes us really feel humbled and we’re honored to have the ability to step up and do that.”
It prices Oklahoma County $45 per inmate, per day, to deal with the juveniles in Pawnee County. Their contract will final a yr, with an auto renewal choice, if want be.
