'No jail will be built here': OKC civil rights leaders sound off on search for new jail site

Those wanting to keep Oklahoma County's jail in downtown Oklahoma City were reminded Monday night to draw strength from past struggles to achieve equality.

Marilyn Luper Hildreth, Clara Luper's daughter, and the Rev. John A. Reed told a standing-room-only crowd their past struggles are not unlike the ones Oklahoma County residents living within marginalized communities face today as county officials debate where to build the new jail.

About 300 people packed into Metro Tech's Springlake campus conference center to hear Hildreth and Reed, who is president of the Concerned Clergy for Spiritual Renewal and longtime pastor of Fairview Baptist Church.

They also heard from local community activist Jess Eddy, Midwest City-Del City Schools Superintendent Rick Cobb, Del City Councilmember Claudia Browne, Oklahoma City Councilmembers Nikki Nice, JoBeth Hamon and James Cooper, Oklahoma County Commissioner Carrie Blumert and state Reps. Jason Lowe and Forrest Bennett, both Democrats who represent parts of Oklahoma City that could be impacted by a new jail's location.

Nearly all of the panelists told audience members they believed the county should build its new jail on land adjacent to the current, 13-story building.

Most also called for city and county officials to provide more information about proposed jail locations.

Panelists said the public should be allowed to review information commissioners are using to identify advantages (proximity to the county courthouse, public transportation and other social services) and disadvantages (zoning, soil conditions, proximities to schools, lacks of utilities or other problems) as they evaluate each proposed location. A resolution brought before Oklahoma City's city council Tuesday seeking that type of additional information from city officials was voted down by the group.

At Monday night's event, Hildreth, a participant in the 1958 sit-in at Oklahoma City's Katz Drug Store, was introduced by Councilwoman Nice.

"When I was a child, I can remember when they came through here with something called Urban Renewal. They took our homes, paid for, and we had to go out and buy new homes with new mortgages," she said.

"They always talk about what's going to happen on the east side. But I want you to know, no more. No more. We are not going to take it," Hildreth said.

"I don't mind being poor. But I'll be darned if you are going to treat me poor!" she exclaimed, bringing a long round of applause from the audience.

"I am pretty confused" by the jail location debate, Reed told the audience, saying it reminded him of similar feelings he experienced when he joined Black employees in Oklahoma City's sanitation division in 1969 as they protested to get better working conditions and wages.

Reed told the crowd he believed the jail should remain downtown and that it should be smaller than what's proposed, using money a smaller jail could generate through savings to fund other crime reduction programs.

Recent data collected by consultants shows a growing racial disparity where more Black people are being detained inside the facility than white people, he told audience members.

"Maybe that's why they want to put the jail over here (in northeast Oklahoma City)," said Reed. "All through these years, when there was anything that is undesirable, they come to northeast Oklahoma City.

"All of us have been fighting against this, all these years. I am 85 years old, and I should be home resting tonight. But here I am up here talking about the jail. We have said no jail will be built in northeast Oklahoma City, and that's what we mean — no jail will be built here.

"If we have got to go back to protesting and calling all of the nation again, we will do it and we can do it. We have done it before and we will do it again!"

Jail resolution before Oklahoma City councilmembers defeated

Oklahoma City Councilmembers Cooper, Hamon and Nice attempted Tuesday to convince their colleagues to approve a resolution that directed City Manager Craig Freeman to provide them with detailed information about proposed county jail locations.

The resolution asked for information about each property's ownership, soil conditions, zonings and proximities to the county courthouse and other services, such as hospitals, mental health and other social services and public transportation.

Hamon said she had received conflicting information from different officials and stakeholders about possible jail sites and said the proposed resolution would help council members better understand the county’s plans.

“I worry that we can talk about metrics all day, but if we don’t have them written down and handed to us in a report, that we’re just kind of doing it by word-of-mouth,” Hamon said.

Nice said increased accountability and transparency are essential for jail site negotiations because she and other council members could be affected by the county's final decision.

Cooper, meanwhile, cautioned most residents who don't want a new jail as a neighbor won't care that Oklahoma City isn't making the decision about where it will go.

“If one of these sites gets chosen, the argument will be that, once more, ‘they’ are doing it to us again," he said.

But Ward 4 Councilman Todd Stone, who represents Oklahoma City residents near the proposed jail location at 1901 E Grand, said he believed the proposed resolution placed too much onus on Freeman.

“I expect that to come from the county when they make their decision,” Stone said. “If they’re doing it based off metrics, they’ll be able to supply us with those metrics.”

The resolution was voted down by the council.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Marilyn Luper Hildreth, others tell leaders to keep jail downtown OKC