New direction for jail

The forecasts couldn't be much different for what it will mean to have an outside administrator oversee the Oklahoma County jail. The jail's trust voted 6-2 this week to go in this direction.

On one end of the spectrum is Sheriff P.D. Taylor, who strongly opposes the change. Taylor and former Oklahoma City Police Chief M.T. Berry provided the two “no” votes.

Separating jail operations from other sheriff's office duties, Taylor said, will mean “total chaos.”

“In my opinion, what they have done is created another huge layer of bureaucracy,” he said. “Now you'll have more people fighting over the same pot of money.”

But the trust's chairwoman, Tricia Everest, says the hiring of an administrator presents a chance to provide “a fresh perspective.”

“There are a lot of questions and levels to look at,” she said, “but I believe that the trust spoke that they are ready to serve the county in a new way.”

The trust, created in May

after months of discussion, had the choice of turning to an administrator, allowing the sheriff to keep running the jail or hiring a private company. The latter option never gained traction, and the choice between the other two wound up being an easy one for most trust members.

The vote followed pleas from several public defenders that an outside administrator be used to address issues inside the jail, including inmate safety and medical services. These have been concerns at the jail since not long after the building opened 28 years ago.

Initiatives in the past few years have helped to reduce the inmate count, a welcome change given that the jail had long been badly overcrowded, placing inmates and jailers in jeopardy. The population remains a concern, as does the jail's infrastructure — leaky plumbing, poor ventilation and mold are among everyday headaches.

Under the new arrangement, the jail administrator will get operations funding via county revenues and various fees, and will report to the trust. The sheriff's office will provide security, serve warrants, patrol unincorporated areas of the county and handle other duties outlined in state statute.

In voting against this change, Taylor said, “I hear a lot of criticism with no solutions, and they don't understand how we do what we do with a lack of funding …” Failing to address that piece, he fears, won't solve anything. His concerns should be given due consideration.

Yet jail trustee Francie Ekwerekwu made a point that's likely shared by many who have followed the jail's problems through the years.

Some changes have been made within the jail, for the better, Ekwerekwu said, but what's needed is “to make decisions that create the path that will improve matters for the inmates at the jail, the employees at the jail and the public.”

A majority of trustees believes an administrator offers the best chance for that to transpire. We'll know in time whether they're right.