Remaining juveniles to be held in Pawnee Co. center
All remaining juveniles have been moved out of the Oklahoma County Jail, one week after the decision was made to do so.
The 11 remaining are being held in the Pawnee County Detention Center. They were moved Monday afternoon, after nearly a week of working to find suitable arrangements, according to a statement issued by jail administration.
“We contacted around 65 housing facilities in the state of Oklahoma, and the Pawnee County Detention Center is the only one that meets the needs of our juvenile youthful offender inmates,” Jail Administrator Greg Williams said in the statement. “We will continue to look for solutions for the housing of juvenile youthful offenders in Oklahoma County as we go forward."
The jail was found unfit to house juveniles after a failed Oklahoma State Department of Health inspection. At that time, youthful offenders not facing charges of murder in the first degree were moved immediately.
Initially, District Attorney David Prater's office said that first-degree murder defendants could remain in the jail, leading to discussion over how to clearly define a juvenile. Others questioned if changes to federal laws concerning youthful offenders applied. A meeting between County Judge Ray Elliot and several jail officials was called July 19 to make the final decision.
The Pawnee County Detention Center is more than 90 miles northeast of Oklahoma City in Pawnee.
The Oklahoma County Sheriff 's Office will be responsible for transport of juvenile offenders to and from the jail for court dates, the statement says. The sheriff 's office will also transport newly arrested individuals from Oklahoma County to Pawnee for detainment.