Oklahoma Co. Sheriff defends jail's conditions
Oklahoma Co. Sheriff defends jail's conditions
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By John Estus and Bryan Dean
Published: August 5, 2008
A Justice Department report rips the Oklahoma County jail as a chaotic and largely unsupervised den of "unconscionable” violence, abuse and medical neglect.
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What's to blame?
The federal report largely blames the mess on overcrowding and understaffing.
"I told you so,” said a news release from District 2 Commissioner Brent Rinehart, a longtime critic of Whetsel's jail management tactics.
Rinehart, who lost his bid for re-election in last week's primary, quoted the report, saying: "Actual direct supervision of detainees at the jail is virtually nonexistent.”
While overcrowding problems have lessened since the agency's inspections between 2003 and 2007, the jail still houses hundreds more inmates than it was built to hold, according to county officials.
About 50 new detention officers have been hired in the past year, but that progress will likely halt.
Whetsel said that he has ordered a hiring freeze because the removal of the federal inmates could potentially cost the county $3.2 million a year in lost revenue.
The federal government pays the county to hold federal inmates. Whetsel has also asked his top deputies to look at options to cut the department's budget.
Whetsel displeased with report process
County officials learned of the problems during an April 2007 meeting with Justice Department officials.
Based on that meeting, Whetsel then began correcting the problems and additionally prepared a 148-page response to the federal agency's 24-page assessment.
That report was delivered to the federal agency a year ago, and Whetsel expressed displeasure Monday that his report hadn't been factored into the report the Justice Department delivered to the county last week.
The Justice Department investigation of the jail was ordered in 2003. Whetsel said Monday he didn't know why the Oklahoma County jail was chosen for an investigation.
What are next steps?
District 3 County Commissioner Ray Vaughn didn't share Rinehart's assessment of the report.
"It's unfortunate that the report is a year old and has a lot of things in it that have been addressed,” Vaughn said. "I think things have improved considerably.”
Still, Whetsel has asked Vaughn to organize a committee that will research solutions to the problems at the jail.
The seven-member Detention Advisory Committee will likely be created at next week's county commissioners meeting, Vaughn said.
The committee will build on the work of the Jail Funding Task Force, which Vaughn said has run its course.
"These problems stem from a poor design in the structure to begin with,” Vaughn said. "The only solution to that is to try another structure, and we'll be looking at that.”
The U.S. Attorney General could file a lawsuit against Oklahoma County if conditions do not improve, according to the report.
Contributing: Staff Writer Jay F. Marks
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Anything said here is not going to change the facts and tragic events that have occurred .. but may help others here see the real solutions on election day, November 4, 2008.
If anyone here has a problem with everything that has happened in the jail or sheriff's office, or feel that everything is okay with the present conditions of the sheriff's office ... by all means, be sure to vote for the person you believe is the right person for the job of sheriff.
A month later at my church, John Whetsel spoke there. I was there. He told every person sitting there that morning that no one ever sleeps on the floor. It just doesn't happen.
I personally have seen how Mr. Whetsel lies.