Oklahoma lawmakers move to regulate jails amid rising deaths

Written By: Deon Osborne

(OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.) With unanimous support, the Oklahoma Senate passed a bill Monday aiming to standardize how county jails operate in a state that has the second-highest rate of jail deaths in the nation.

Read this story on the Black Wall Street Times here. 

Sponsored by state Sen. Darrell Weaver (R-Moore), SB 595 establishes the Oklahoma Jail Standards Act. It mandates annual inspections of city- and county-run detention facilities, rules for staff responsibilities, and protocols for new construction.

The state’s health commissioner would set the enforcement regulations, with allowances for emergency waivers in natural or man-made disaster situations. 

“This gives counties some level of standards,” Weaver said. The bill passed 46-0 and now heads to the House. 

A history of deadly neglect

The bill’s passage comes after years of in-custody deaths in jails across Oklahoma, which have disproportionately impacted Black and marginalized communities.

Oklahoma ranks second in the nation for the highest rate of jail deaths, according to a first-of-its-kind Reuters Investigation. Oklahoma had 148 jail deaths between 2009 and 2019, with nearly half of them (72) resulting from illness.

Nationally, 66% of the at least 7,571 jail deaths across the country occurred while the person was awaiting trial, before being convicted of any crime, according to the investigation.

At the Oklahoma County Jail in Oklahoma City, for instance, 73 jail deaths occurred between 2000-2019, according to the People’s Council for Justice Reform.

In 2021, Oklahoma City Police officers shot and killed a prisoner in the Oklahoma County Jail after a prison guard was taken hostage, beaten and stabbed. The incident led to protests and cast a spotlight on what’s been described as inhumane conditions.

Tulsa: The Oklahoma jail death of Dean Courtney Stith

In Tulsa, 55-year-old Dean Courtney Stith died in the Tulsa County Jail on January 4, 2023. His family said he was arrested for a low-level offense and had preexisting medical conditions. Detention officers found him unresponsive in his cell; he was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after.

Despite public outcry, little information has been released about what led to Stith’s death. His family and advocates say they are still waiting for answers. Tulsa’s jail—managed by the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office—has faced multiple wrongful death lawsuits over the past decade.

Norman: A sheriff under fire

In Norman, Oklahoma, the 2022 in-custody death of Shannon Hanchett sparked outrage and raised questions about the Cleveland County Jail’s treatment of detainees with mental health needs. Hanchett, a beloved local baker and community advocate, died days after being arrested and held at the county facility following a mental health crisis.

Last year, the Cleveland County Board of Commissioners publicly criticized Sheriff Chris Amason for allegedly failing to provide transparency around jail deaths. In recent months, commissioners have requested independent audits and called for greater accountability.

“To address this growing concern, the Board of County Commissioners took action earlier this year, sending out a request for proposals to: identify and analyze the root causes of jail inmate deaths; develop actionable recommendations to prevent future deaths; and enhance overall safety and health protocols within the jail,” the board stated.

Lawton: Another life lost at CCDC 

On October 23, 2023, Keith Bradley, a detainee at the Comanche County Detention Center (CCDC), was found dead in his cell. The details surrounding Bradley’s cause of death remain unclear, but it marked the fourth death in two months.

In August of that year, a woman whose brother was arrested and jailed in Comanche County in August filed a request for an internal review. She claims his arrest violated the U.S. Constitution and that jail staff refused to adequately treat his wounds.

“I asked them at the front desk can they please do something to help him. Because he had no blanket, no pillow. He was on a bench. I begged them to give him something. Because stuff is just oozing out of his face and his ear,” his sister Justine Howard told The Black Wall Street Times.

Oklahoma Jail deaths and conditions lead to federal lawsuit

In 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Oklahoma for failing to provide adequate mental health treatment in both jails and prisons. Investigators found multiple constitutional violations, including staff misconduct and neglect.

In June 2024, the state reached a settlement, requiring the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to reduce wait times, increase staffing and wait times, and place some individuals in compensatory restoration programs. It comes with fines if the requirements fail to meet deadlines.