Statewide prison lockdowns lifting

Correctional facilities across the state are starting to be released from a statewide lockdown caused by reported gang-related incidents at six facilities, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections announced Wednesday.

According to a DOC news release, all five of the department’s Community Corrections Facilities — as well as Eddie Warrior Correctional

Center, Mabel Bassett Correctional Center, Oklahoma State Reformatory, Bill Johnson Correctional Center, William

S. Key Correctional Center and Oklahoma State Penitentiary’s maximum-security unit — have returned to normal operations.

“It is important to allow the inmates and their families to have visitation and the ability to attend programs,” said Scott Crow, director of the Department of Corrections. “We will return the rest of our facilities to normal operations as soon as it is safe and responsible to do so. The safety of our staff and inmate population remains our top priority.”

Visitation will resume Saturday, the news release states, and facilities remaining on lockdown will be observed under restricted movement protocols through the weekend. The department will determine Monday whether the rest of the lockdown can be lifted.

Inmates involved in last week’s incident remain in restrictive housing pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation, according to the news release.

Correctional facilities statewide were locked down Friday after incidents occurred at the following facilities: Davis Correctional Facility in Holdenville; Dick Conner Correctional Center in Hominy; Lexington Assessment and Reception Center; John Lilley Correctional Center in Boley; Mack Alford Correctional Center in Atoka; and Jim E. Hamilton Correctional

Center in Hodgen.