After jail deal, Oklahoma County will seek bond vote
Taxpayers will be asked to pay for some of the fixes required under federal agreement

Oklahoma County officials already have addressed many of the issues included in the agreement with the U.S. Justice Department. Following is a list of the fixes the county is agreeing to, and whether they have been made or not.

Not fixed

Staffing: Although the county has begun a staffing study as required by the agreement, officials said there is no money to hire the estimated 200 jailers needed, at a cost of $6 million a year.

Direct supervision: The jail is not set up so that at least one jailer is permanently located in each pod. This will not be fixed until money is available.

Maintenance: General maintenance is being done, but requirements including replacing cell doors, at a cost of $6,000 to $8,000 each for 1,200 doors, can't be done until money is available.

Discipline: Policies have been changed, but the jail does not have enough cells so that disciplined inmates can be segregated from the general population.

Housing for suicidal inmates: The county does not yet have the money to renovate its medical cells to be suicide resistant by changing fixtures that might allow inmates to hang themselves.

Fire safety equipment: Although some new equipment is in place, a new master control panel for fire safety systems is needed.

Already fixed or currently being fixed:

Rounds: Jailers are making rounds every 30 minutes for high-security inmates and each hour for lower-risk inmates.

Monitoring equipment: New cameras have been installed and a monitoring room has been built.

Classification: A new system is in place to classify inmates based on their security risk and suicide risk.

Incident reporting: All suicide attempts, detainee-on-detainee violence, use of force by staff, fires, escapes and deaths are being tracked and records kept as required.

Investigations: Policies on internal investigations have changed, and use-of-force reviews are being conducted in all cases by jail Administrator Jack Herron.

Training: Training requirements have been updated, and staff are being trained.

Medical and mental health care: New policies are in place, and a new outside medical provider has been hired to meet the requirements of the agreement, including record keeping, medical and mental health screening, medical staffing, proper prescription and distribution of medication and providing access to emergency care and specialty care.

Suicide prevention: Policies have been changed. Jailers are getting additional training to recognize warning signs. Inmates are being screened and observed when they are determined to be suicidal.

Sanitation: A new housekeeping plan is in place, plumbing and ventilation is being fixed, a pest control program is in place, laundry is being done three times a week instead of once, an infection control plan is in place and the cafeteria has been re-done with an outside company taking over food service.

Fire safety policies and training: Exit plans are now posted, and emergency keys are marked and accessible. Staff are being trained to meet the fire safety standards in the agreement, and a new fire safety plan is in place. Regular drills are taking place.

Quality assurance: A quality assurance division is in place, and staff are tracking the jail's compliance with the standards in the agreement.

Source: U.S. Justice Department; Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel