During the Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee hearing held on Wednesday, March 27th, 2024, Oklahoma Representative JJ Humphrey reiterated his previous requests to launch an inquiry into the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Rep. Humphrey expressed apprehensions regarding various issues within the department, including incidents of prison rape, purported manipulation of PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) records, potential outbreaks of bacterial meningitis, instances of overdose-related deaths, rising levels of violence, and the persistent problem of understaffing.
Representative Humphrey has raised issues regarding the Department of Corrections following the dismissal of psychologist Whitney Louis, a whistleblower who brought attention to uninvestigated allegations of sexual assault at the Eddie Warrior Correctional Facility. As reported by Oklahoma Watch, the psychologist faced disciplinary action and was ultimately terminated.
On March 21st, 2024, Fox 23 obtained footage from a cell phone that reportedly shows an instance of sexual assault at the Mabel Basset Correctional Center. The recording is said to have been made using a smuggled cell phone within the facility. The Oklahoma Department of Corrections was notified of this incident via their Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) hotline and states that an investigation has been initiated.
"After Fox23 turned over the video, ODOC had to take action: the suspect, Officer Dshaunn Dixon, is in the Pottawatomie County Jail on a second-degree rape charge." as reported by Fox23.
"They're still department employees investigating other employees or inmates (for) any sexual case in the department," said Humphrey, R-Lane. "And this appears to be the department covering up the department."
Emily Barnes with Hooked on Justice, an Oklahoma prison advocacy organization, voices concerns after the recent meningitis death. Barnes alleges "the men are not being fed properly and do not have access to cleaning supplies to prevent the spread." Interview with Emily Barnes 3/24/2024
Representative Humphries expressed his anticipation of heightened tensions during the upcoming hearing. Additionally, earlier today, KOCO Five released a report detailing the arrest of yet another Correction Officer on charges of rape at the Lexington Correctional Center.
During a recent meeting centered on Criminal Justice and Corrections, Jason Lemons, a previous staff member at the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC), brought up uncertainties regarding the accuracy of the department's staffing numbers. Lemons expressed reservations about the adequacy of staffing levels within the department.
“So, every bit of this, the violence going on, the manipulation, the shortage of staff… If somebody would just take the time and do an actual investigation versus inside, you can find this information easy,” said Jason Lemons, former ODOC employee.
Kay Thompson, the spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, supports and upholds the accuracy of the data provided by their department and reported from February 14th, 2024.
She said, “Current security staff to inmate numbers as of today. Agencywide security staff: 1,329. Inmates at state facilities: 18,850. Ratio: 14:1. We do not release facility-specific or shift-specific numbers due to security concerns. No corrections department figures staffing ratios based on shifts.”
Another concern is the overdose deaths inside Oklahoma prisons.
An article published in February by The Frontier outlined the arrests of seven individuals linked to a series of illicit smuggling activities aimed at infiltrating three correctional facilities. The contraband seized in these incidents encompassed a range of substances and items, notably including cell phones, Xanax, fentanyl, methamphetamine, marijuana, tobacco, cigarette lighters, and various electronic devices.
Corrections employees also sometimes bring drugs into the prisons. Since Jan. 1, 2021, Oklahoma district attorneys have charged 27 corrections officers for bringing contraband into prisons, Kay Thompson said.
Representative Humphrey aims to tackle these pressing concerns and urges fellow lawmakers to take decisive action on the challenges he has brought to the forefront during discussions with the committee and the media. These issues span from the manipulation of state records and concealment of sexual assault cases to the alarming rise in drug overdoses, outbreaks of infectious diseases, and the critical problem of understaffing, which is endangering public safety.
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