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This work is essential to a better-informed community and a healthy democracy. An incarcerated person is three times more likely to attempt suicide than someone on the outside. What happened: Tharp was unconscious so someone performed CPR on him, according to a jail incident report. There are members of the trust who are county officers who are advised and represented by our office at times, Prater told The Oklahomans Nolan Clay. That fatality rate is likely significantly higher now, given the spate of recent deaths. Oldham had Lanes name tattooed on her arm after he died. Were dealing with a fentanyl epidemic that has exploded nationally, and we have seen the impact here, he said. After another 15 minutes had passed, the man appeared to have another seizure, according to the report. February 23, 2023 (19 years old) View obituary. The medical team at the jail immediately called an ambulance, and Reagan was taken to a local hospital, Iski said. The jail's poor design makes it difficult for staff to see through every cell . Though not involved in the investigation, Prater continues to be shocked by the number of deaths at the jail. 1:00. During the public comment portion of Mondays meeting, group member Christopher Johnston called for a federal takeover of the jail. Gregory Davis, 53 (DOB 5-10-68), who was alone in his cell, was found unresponsive by jail staff who were making a mental health check at 9:12 a.m. Thursday, August 12. Nationwide, there were 1,120 deaths reported, or a rate of 154 deaths per 100,000 people in jail, the highest levels since BJS' first report on this topic in 2000. An inmate described as having a chronic health condition died Wednesday night at the Oklahoma County jail, 10 days after his arrest. By: Mike Glover. The Oklahoma County Jail saw four deaths in 2020, according to The Frontier, and six in 2019. What happened: An inmate collapsed in the jail day room. The detention officer immediately began CPR and called for medical assistance and other personnel. We mourn any loss of life and always seek to protect the lives of our detainees and staff, Williams said. Jail and prison populations across the U.S. are aging, and a disproportionate number of inmates suffer from chronic medical conditions and mental illness. Brewer declined to comment on the pending charges when contacted by The Frontier. Joshua England, a 21-year-old inmate at the Joseph Harp Correctional Center, died of appendicitis in May 2018 after his five written requests for medical attention were ignored. In the June 28 election, Oklahoma County voters approved fundingto build a new jail, but that new facility is still years away from being a reality. Name: Michael GuthrieAge: 47Died: Jan. 13, 2020Location: Muskogee County JailCause and manner of death: UndeterminedWhat happened: Guthrie was assaulted by another inmate on January 3, and taken to a hospital for treatment according to KTUL. On Oct. 22, 2015, 26-year-old Terral Ellis, Jr. died of sepsis and pneumonia after staff at the Ottawa County Jail mocked him and ignored his pleas for medical attention for several hours. Our fight against contraband is multifaceted and ever-evolving. The jail currently has about 336 full-time and six part-time officers to guard the jail, not including other support staff, and is budgeted for 400 total employees. We cant do it without your support. TPD has requested that the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation investigate Wards death. Donate to The Frontier to support local independent investigative journalism. His family had repeatedly contacted the jails administrative staff about his mental state in the months prior to his death, according to a report by The Frontier. Knox had been in custody since July in lieu of a $10,000 bond for failing to make a court appearance in January. Basco was in custody facing drug charges at the time. Luis Alberto Gonzalez, 39, of Oklahoma City, was being held on the jail's medical floor on a felony assault and battery charge. One expert, Dr. Kenneth Ray, called the administration a competent and motivated leadership team.. Pinellas County Sheriff's Office to stop posting online mug shots. Officials did not provide the cause of his death. At least two-thirds of deaths identified in the Reuters investigation were of inmates who had not been convicted of a crime, and under most circumstances were eligible for pretrial release. The livestreamed trial has chronicled Murdaugh's spectacular downfall from the wealthy scion of a respected and powerful legal dynasty to an admitted pill-popper and thief who is alleged to have . According to jail officials, detainee Craig Weeks was discovered attempting suicide in his cell just before 1 p.m. Thursday. He loved to draw, read and could build or fix anything with his hands, Lanes girlfriend Crystal Oldham said. August 11, 2021. It was just after 2 a.m. on a Saturday in December 2019 when two detention officers took John Basco from his cell and forced him to listen to the song on repeat for two hours while standing with his hands cuffed to a metal bar, according to a court affidavit. Cause and manner of death: Possible suicide by hanging, Location: David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center in Tulsa. Ward was last seen sleeping in her bunk that morning, the report states. Documented insufficient staffing levels and the overall poor condition of the 30-year old jail building have contributed to high death rates and a lack of basic rights for prisoners at the jail over the past decade. Inmate death is 5th of 2021 at Oklahoma County jail. Jail staff then . Tuell said the death is the facilitys first since it opened in 2018. First responders pronounced him dead at the jail. And to avoid any appearance of impropriety, I voluntarily disqualified our office.. An Oklahoma County jail inmate died, causing authorities to investigate. OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) Thursday, the death of a detainee in the Oklahoma County Detention Center or Jail was the ninth for the facility in 2021. mail Many of the dead were discovered unresponsive by staff making routine rounds. Multiple Oklahoma inmates have died because staff failed to provide medical assistance in a timely manner. What happened: A jailer passing out food trays for breakfast discovered Taylor laying on the floor of his cell. The current jail trust is transparent. Six detention officers at the Oklahoma County jail have been charged with assault and mistreatment of inmates since October. Federal inspectors found inadequate supervision and staffing at the jail, a lack of basic medical and mental health care, overcrowding and a high rate of inmate assaults and deaths. He died from his injuries July 11; On July 2, Corey McMichael died at an OKC hospital after being transported there from the jails medical unit because he was experiencing health related issues. McMichael, 46, had been in the jail since Aug. 7 of last year; Inmate Melvin Loveless, 44, died by suicide in his cell on June 22 and was found by staff. Cause and manner of death: The state Medical Examiner determined Taylor died from a seizure of unknown origin. The first death of an Oklahoma County jail inmate this year occurred Wednesday and is under investigation, according to a release from jail administration. The latter part of her remarks drew jeers from members of the Peoples Council for Justice Reform, a local activist group whose members frequently speak at jail trust meetings. Three of the former detention officers charged involving alleged assaults on prisoners occured after the jail trust took over. In 2021, Prater received permission to impanel a grand jury to investigate, among other things, lethal uncorrected mismanagement of the Oklahoma County Jail under the supervision of the jail trust. A jail blanket was attached to the cell door and wrapped around his neck. About half of Oklahomas jail deaths were caused by illness and another quarter by suicide. Every time Im notified of a death at the jail, my heart sinks, Blumert said. Ward told officers upon arrest that she did not feel well, TPD Sgt. Joshua Rhett Miller. Lane was facing multiple criminal charges at the time of his death, including possession of a stolen vehicle, drug possession and reckless driving. Brad did make bad choices in life no one is perfect, Oldham said. Most Oklahoma jails lack the funding and resources necessary to implement these kinds of changes. He was found Feb. 26 unresponsive in his cell by staff doing routine checks. By the time detention officers arrived nearly an hour later, Lane was unresponsive. I know I had an attitude but that dude did me dirty.. The grand jury investigation is currently being handled by District 27 District Attorney Jack Thorp. In some cases, there were prosecutions of jail staff, and I will point out that is a small minority of people that work at the jail., In the face of mass migration, we can learn from Oklahomas young people, Valentine voting: For the love of democracy, Out of Character: Jenna Miller explores body positivity, queer identity, Last week on This Old Attorney Generals Office, Budget hearing previews the last ride of Mark McBride, sued the county and jail trust over bed bugs, Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority, Interim Oklahoma County Jail CEO Brandi Garner strives to be more communicative, Commissioners designate $40 million for mental health facility near new jail, Maughan: Oklahoma County elected official pay increase unfair to some, 10 unexpected moments our team witnessed in 2022, Change: Embattled Oklahoma County Jail chief Greg Williams resigns, Oklahoma County Jail: Inspection highlights more problems, Williams may resign, You are not welcome: Without shelter, resources limited for Edmonds unhoused, Potency caps, seed-to-sale vendor reboot among Legislatures 2023 marijuana measures, Education roundup: Catholic charter school, property tax mistake, OSDE changes and Epic, House moves education plan: $500 million of new funding, new parental choice tax credit, Legislature has more money to allocate, but Senate sour on House education price tag. Were en route to losing 20 to 24 this year. Bishop had been booked in June 6, 2021. The jails poor design makes it difficult for staff to see through every cell door and ensure the safety of inmates. We give voice to those who arent heard and expose that which is hidden from the public. Among those who die in jail by suicide, the median time from booking to death was just nine days, according to the data compiled by Prison Policy Initiative. Blumert said the recent $1.1 million settlement was the largest she can recall since she was elected. According to data compiled by Prison Policy Initiative, from 2000 to 2018, suicide was the leading cause of deaths for those incarcerated in city and county jails, accounting for around 30 percent of deaths. Location: Haskell County Criminal Justice Center in Stigler. Oklahoma Countys agreement with the Department of Justice required it to hire enough staff so that each jail housing unit or pod would have at least one detention officer to continuously monitor prisoners. But cell doors throughout most of the facility have faulty doors and locking mechanisms that prisoners can easily rig to open to move around freely in their housing units and maybe even sneak in an unsanctioned shower. The U.S. Department of Justice has repeatedly documented dangerous conditions at the jail that it found violated prisoners civil rights since at least 2003, but the agency has failed to enforce the terms of a settlement requiring the county to adequately fund and staff the facility. The death was the second one in the week. The Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners announced Joe Allbaugh would fill a vacancy on the nine-member panel, which was created last year to oversee a jail long plagued with overcrowding, inmate deaths . From 2016 through 2019, the jail had 40 deaths and an average annual mortality rate of 4.77 deaths per 1,000 inmates. The most recent death at the jail prior to Bishop was the suicide of Gabriel Yalartai on Dec. 26. He was transported to St. Francis Hospital Muskogee and pronounced dead. 0:04. The detention officers sometimes used the song as a form of discipline for inmates who left their cells, according to accounts from former prisoners. Prater later recused himself from that investigation. He was placed in a cell for medical observation. Criticism of the troubled facility remains high amid issues with staffing and safety as some elected and appointed leadersadvocate for building a new jail. Five of the six detention officers who now face criminal charges were involved in uses of force against prisoners who left their cells to shower or use the toilet without permission from detention officers, according to court records and interviews. The detention officer, Jesse Kight, failed to conduct required checks of the cell during his shift, officials said. District 2 County Commissioner Brian Maughan said that while its important to take each death seriously, there are a variety of factors that contribute to fatalities. Email Kassie@readfrontier.com or brianna@readfrontier.com. Hes been named in court records as a witness to Lanes death. Oklahoma County jail trust facing two new lawsuits. Oklahoma County Jail trust takes over. Want to support our mission to hold powerful people accountable, give a voice to the voiceless, and shine a light on darkness in Oklahoma? Somebody will come. And nobody came.. The Oklahoma County Jails design has also been cited as a flaw. Medical staff continued resuscitation efforts until Oklahoma City firefightersarrived and took over, according to the statement. Tuell said Ward was involved in no altercations and did not indicate she was a danger to herself. While being escorted by a detention officer Tuesday about 9:40 a.m. to the video hearing room in the Jail, the officer noticed that Jimmy Bedford (DOB 1-27-1967) did not seem . how much is beyond pricing The U.S. Department of Agriculture has now approved Oklahoma to issue school year 2021-2022 P-EBT benefits, summer 2022 P-EBT benefits, and P-EBT for children under age six who were in childcare and participated in SNAP during the school year 2021-2022 benefits. Sustain our journalism by becoming a supporter. This is the latest incident at a jail beleaguered by problems since its construction. Myself, I would love for people to be able to have a shower every day, but it does require way more staff than what we have now, Ekwerekwu said. . The Department of Justice called on Oklahoma County to fix the locks in 2008 but it wasnt until 2019 that the Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office spent $1 million to install new locking mechanisms on about a third of the jails 1,200 cells. The jails combined had an average annual mortality rate of 2.16 deaths per 1,000 inmates, the second highest in the nation behind West Virginia. For three months prior to her death, public defenders say they had tried to find an outpatient mental health facility that would accept Gonzales. He kept saying hes killing me, help me, hes killing me, said Christopher Autrey, who was held in a cell on the 13th floor near Lane. The Buncombe County Sheriff, Quentin Miller, is the head law enforcement officer in the county. But what the trust talks about behind closed doors in executive session is another matter. Her attorney, Cameron Spradling, provided the letter to The Frontier. Some outside audits have suggested it could take as many as 600 or 700 detention officers to fully staff the jail, said Tricia Everest, chairwoman of the trust that now oversees the jail. Along with our new body scanner, weve modernized intake procedures to better spot contraband. State Question 781 would not have passed without State Question 780, which reduced many drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. February 24, 2023 (37 years old) As a nonprofit news organization,The Frontieris funded by tax-deductible donations made by people who support quality journalism. Jail Cause and manner of death: Sepsis. Last year The Frontier reported that many rural jails are far from treatment facilities, and have not received any funds from State Question 781, an approved 2016 ballot initiative which promised to allocate money saved from reduced prison costs to community mental health and substance abuse programs. The jail trust has made it one of its top priorities to move to a system of direct supervision, but hiring enough staff to accomplish that goal has proved to be a challenge. The outcome of Thorps multi-county grand jury investigation remains unknown, but criminal indictments for those involved in the jails operation and management could be possible. Share. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Oklahoma County Sheriffs Office reported 254 cases of prisoners assaulting detention officers in 2018. Name: Michael Reagan Jr.Age: 44Died: Jan. 13, 2020Location: Okmulgee County Criminal Justice AuthorityCause and manner of death: UndeterminedWhat happened: Updated story, Jan. 15, 2020: Reagan appeared to be having a seizure in his cell on January 13, according to an incident report jail staff sent to the state jail inspector. Echoing Williams, Maughan said many of the current deaths are related to drug overdoses, particularly from fentanyl. There's little disagreement about the jail's state. On the morning of January 6, Ward was found unresponsive in her cell and was transported to a Tulsa hospital where she was pronounced dead 20 minutes following her arrival, according to an incident report the city sent to the state jail inspector. The U.S. Army veteran had disclosed her post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression to jail staff, but was not being held in a mental health ward of the jail. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business. When the officer opened the cell, he saw the inmate had died, the report says. Once there a physician pronounced Davis dead at 10:25 a.m. Click this link or the red button below to support our mission. Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater is one county official who has little faith in Greg Williams or the jail trust. 0:04. Just after 4 p.m. local time, as medication was being given to the inmates, the officer was overpowered and taken . Lightfoot is among the . * Use the following credit line at the end of the story, with oklahomawatch.org hyperlinked online: Oklahoma Watch, atoklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state., by Keaton Ross, Oklahoma Watch February 9, 2021, This and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.. They have a lot more liberty to do what they want because so many officers have either left and went to another job or resigned or have just been fired, the man said. Oklahoma County entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Justice in 2009 that required the county to adequately fund and staff the jail by 2014, or face court action from the federal government to force compliance. The shortage of staff at the jail has contributed to a lack of control over the prisoners there, the man said. Oklahoma County jail inmate Brad Leon Lane, 40 (right), died. The last time he was seen outside of his cell was at 11:14 p.m. Bishop was booked into the jail on June 6, 2021, on charges of first-degreemurder and second-degree murder, according to the Oklahoma State Courts Network. Location: Oklahoma County Detention Center in Oklahoma City. Many of the charges stem from uses of force against prisoners who left their cells at unauthorized times to shower or use the restroom amid jail staffing shortages. For drug overdoses, the median time is one day, and for inmates murdered by other inmates, the median time is 29 days from booking to death. Its fatal if even small amounts are consumed. One jailer reported that her breathing seemed shallow during the night and later found her unresponsive in the early morning hours of July 6. COVID-19 cases at jail surge. Oklahoma Watchs Paul Monies discusses the provisions of State Question 820 and how recreational marijuana got to a March 7 special election. Quintana-Lujan told officer he shared a marijuana cigarette the night before, according to the document.

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