|
|
| Oklahoma's Prison Population Tops 23,000 for First Time |
| By The Oklahoman |
| Published: 11/26/2002 |
|
Oklahoma's prison population reached a new high last week, but the state Corrections Department's dependence on private prisons seems to be waning, officials said recently. The state prison population is 23,056, said Patty Davis, chief administrator of classification and programs. This is the first time Oklahoma's inmate count has topped 23,000, she said. Davis' report was delivered to state Board of Corrections members, who met Friday at the Clara Waters Community Corrections Center. The number of inmates housed in six Oklahoma private prisons has dropped by nearly 200. At this time last year, the department housed 5,918 in private prisons. That figure is now 5,737. The department has been able to better classify some of its inmates, placing some in community correctional centers and halfway houses to free space for higher-security inmates who had been housed in private prisons. Many of those inmates are now in state-run medium-security prisons. The shift is welcome news to corrections officials, who have been criticized by some legislators and the Oklahoma Public Employees Association for being too dependent on private prisons. Private prisons are at 95.5 percent capacity, records show. State-run medium-security prisons are 98.7 percent full. It's a change from what the board has traditionally heard: higher inmate counts and a greater need for contract prison bed space. The good news could be short-lived. Davis said the department usually sees an increase in incoming inmates during the spring. The state's inmate count is already 481 higher than it was last year. The board heard gloomy reports on the department's financial condition. Even with the $9.8 million received from the Legislature, the department is facing a projected $25.5 million shortfall, should current trends continue, Deputy Director Ed Evans said. Board member Robert Rainey said the department needs more funding to adequately staff its prisons. Oklahoma has an inmate-to-officer ratio of 7-to-1, whereas Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas have four to five officers for every inmate, according to a recent study by the National Institute of Corrections. The study, commissioned by the Corrections Department, examined only those six states. The study's numbers were based on a fully staffed department, which Oklahoma's is not. The state is operating with 16 percent of its positions vacant, Edwards said. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
Comments:
No comments have been posted for this article.
Login to let us know what you think