THE VILLAGE, Okla. (KFOR) – On Monday night, The Village City Council will vote to enter into a jail services agreement with the city of Midwest City.
“I think putting people in the county jail is almost like putting a clock on someone’s life,” Adam Graham, Vice Mayor of The Village, said.
That’s why Graham told KFOR, he started working with the mayor to come up with another plan after The Village city council voted not to sign a new contract with the Oklahoma County Jail for their municipal inmates.
“They’re gonna die. They’re gonna get bed bugs. They’re gonna get killed. Something’s gonna happen. It’s inhumane,” Graham said.
Monday night, the council will vote to enter into an agreement with the city of Midwest City. If it passes, The Village will begin housing their municipal inmates in the Midwest City jail.
“Yes, it is going to cost us a couple dollars more to go to Midwest City, but it’s quicker. Our officers are going to be back on the street quicker because the intake process is half the time,” said Graham. “I know that are citizens are going to be taken care of.”
Cathy Cummings, Ward 4 council member, is also on board.
“The jail trust has had a year-and-a-half now to fix these issues and they have failed, and miserably,” Cummings said.
Last month, an Oklahoma State Department of Health inspection led to the county jail losing their certification to house juveniles, partially due to a long list of “repeat deficiencies.”
So far this year, nine people have died inside the jail, with two deaths just last week.
“Entering into this contract with Midwest City, I feel, sends a very clear message to the Oklahoma County Jail that they need to get their act together,” said Cummings. “I call on other Oklahoma County municipalities to basically go on strike against the Oklahoma County Jail. I would like to ask them to please join us in preventing these human rights abuses.”
In a statement sent to News 4, Mark Opgrande, a spokesperson for the Oklahoma County Jail, said, “The Village has every right to take their inmates anywhere they feel appropriate.”
