The Oklahoma County Jail under the Jail Trust. A timeline of trouble
A history of the troubles at the Oklahoma County Jail under the leadership of the Jail Trust.
After control of the Oklahoma County jail was stripped from the sheriff's office in 2020, the facility became one of the deadliest jails in America under the leadership of the Jail Trust.
But problems in the Oklahoma County jail can be traced back decades, beginning with its construction in 1991. Escape attempts soon followed, with six inmates making it out and another 150 trying within the first three years.
Two years after the jail opened, commissioners sued the jail's builder, accusing several businesses of poor workmanship. The suit was settled out of court.
By 2008, the jail had fallen into such disrepute that the U.S. Justice Department released a report chronicling more than 60 civil rights violations, and began regularly monitoring conditions at the jail.
And there were also high-profile incidents involving sheriff's deputies that proved an embarrassment for the jail.
More: Commissioner: New jail to be 'night and day' improvement from current jail's problems
Two former Oklahoma County jailers pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor cruelty charge for forcing inmates to listen to "Baby Shark" as punishment.
Both were charged after an investigation determined handcuffed inmates were forced to stand for long periods chained to a wall in the attorney visitation booth as discipline in 2019.
These problems, and more, led to the decision to change leadership at the jail. The following is a timeline of events that document the forming of the Trust as well as what has transpired at the jail under its leadership.
May 22, 2019
Oklahoma County Commissioners vote to create Jail Trust, remove Sheriff's Office from daily jail operations and appoint original Trust members
May 23, 2019 - Oklahoma County Jail Trust created to address issues, but questions remain
June 30, 2019 - Meet the members of the jail trust
August 2019-July 1, 2020
A rocky transition of power from the sheriff to the Trust
Aug. 20, 2019 - Jail administrator to run jail, sheriff predicts chaos
Sept. 10, 2019 - Current employees air grievances over pay at Trust meeting
Oct. 25, 2019 - Sheriff threatens to give up control Jan. 1
Dec. 11, 2019 - Sheriff gives new deadline for transition
Dec. 12, 2019 - Future costs of jail operations questioned
Dec. 18, 2019 - Employee losses were exaggerated ahead of trust transition
The Trust hires Greg Williams and the rest of its administrative team — December 2019-June 2020
Dec. 26, 2019 - Greg Williams profile
June 9, 2020 - Meet the jail's new administrative team
July 1, 2020 - July 1, 2021
Jail Trust takes control as first year under its leadership is marred by problems
July 1, 2020 - Oklahoma County jail trust officially takes over
Aug. 1, 2020 - Murder defendant caught after jail escape
Oct. 5, 2020 - Fired jailers charged with assault
Jan. 4, 2021 - Brad Leon Lane dies
Jan. 10, 2021 - Inmate beat to death with own walking boot
Jan. 28, 2021 - Escapee was gone for an hour before police were alerted
Feb. 25, 2021 - Two jailers arrested in smuggling operation
March 17, 2021 - Eleven inmates accused of beating another with a broom handle
June 18, 2021 - Former jail employees charged in separate inmate attacks
March 27, 2021
Guard gets held hostage, pepper sprayed and stabbed. One inmate shot and killed in efforts to restore order
March 27, 2021 - Inmate shot and killed
March 28, 2021 - Police shoot inmate after hostage situation
March 28, 2021 - Inmate killed in hostage situation identified
March 29, 2021 - Family of inmate killed urge charges against the police
March 30, 2021 - Sheriff talks about video of hostage situation
March 31, 2021 - Jail officials blame short staffing, infrastructure after inmate killed
April 2, 2021 - Bodycam shows inmate holding knife to guard's throat
June 22, 2021 - Five charged with murder in hostage incident
June 30, 2021 - Three officers cleared in shootings, including hostage incident
July 30, 2021 - Inmate who took jailer hostage used meth
Aug. 15, 2021 - Hostage series - Part 1
Aug. 15, 2021 - Hostage series -- Part 2
Aug. 15, 2021 - Hostage series -- Part 3
March-April 2021
Jail health provider threatens to leave after hostage incident, later backs down, backlash toward jail leadership grows as health violations stack up
March 29, 2021 - Health provider threatens to leave after hostage incident
April 14, 2021 - Jail medical provider staying put
March 29, 2021 - DA blames incompetent jail administration for dangerous conditions
March 31, 2021 - Dozens of health violations at the jail
April 2, 2021 - Jail trust faces intense public criticism
April 4, 2021 - History of violence leaves future of trust in doubt
April 5, 2021 - Trust to stay in charge of jail for now
April 19, 2021 - Lawmaker calls for federal takeover of jail
April 22, 2021 - Consultant hired as criticism intensifies against jail
April-July 2021
Jail woes continue as officers are charged, a drug dealer was accidentally released, inmates were charged with rape and more
April 13, 2021 - Former detention officers charged
June 19, 2021 - Drug dealer accidentally released
June 20, 2021 - Two months after mistaken release, inmate back in jail
July 3, 2021 - Jail inmates charged with rape over search for missing ring
July 7, 2021 - Inmates accused of using bed sheets to pull drugs in to jail
July 2021
Jail is banned from holding juveniles after surprise inspection
July 13, 2021 - Jail barred from housing juveniles
July 19, 2021 - Youth offenders to be moved from jail after inspection issues
July 27, 2021 - Final youth moved from jail
July 28, 2021 - Jail contracts with Pawnee County to house juveniles
July-December 2021
Problems persist with smuggled contraband, assaults in jail. Several accusations involve jail staff
July 21, 2021 - Employee accused of smuggling marijuana, phones into jail
Aug. 11, 2021 - Former jailer charged with assault
Aug. 18, 2021 - Admitted serial killer caught with smuggled cell phone in jail
Oct. 14, 2021 - Jail inmate escapes after stealing worker's car
Oct. 21, 2021 - Medical assistant arrested in jail contraband case
Nov. 22, 2021 - Report on ongoing health and safety problems at jail
Dec. 27, 2021 - Detention officer fired after jail suicide
Dec. 29, 2021 - Detention officer arrested, accused of smuggling contraband into jail
Sept. 21, 2021
Ongoing frustrations lead to public calls for resignations from Greg Williams, Trust member
Sept. 21, 2021 - Activists call for trust members to resign
Oct. 2021-June 2022
New jail considered, ultimately approved by Oklahoma County voters
Oct. 10, 2021 - Jail options presented, citizens call for community investment
Nov. 28, 2021 - New jail to be recommended to Oklahoma County officials
Nov. 30, 2021 - Trust says yes to idea of new jail, citizens less sure
Dec. 7, 2021 - Commissioners signal desire for new jail, community opposition continues
Dec. 17, 2021 - New jail has been proposed, but how will the county pay for it?
April 2, 2022 - Oklahoma County Commissioners to discuss bond vote for new jail funding
June 28, 2022 - Voters approve new jail
Oct. 19, 2021
Oklahoma multicounty grand jury prepares to begin jail investigation
Oct. 19, 2021 - Grand jury seated to investigate jail
Jan. 12, 2023 - Failed inspections, resignations: A year into jail investigation
Jan. 2022-Feb. 2022
Jail improvements approved, triple-celling reduced
Jan. 19, 2022 - Commissioners approve measures for current, future jail improvements
Feb. 8, 2022 - Jail reduces triple celling, COVID cases and state inmates
Feb.-March 2022
Problems continue as multicounty grand jury prepares to release report following investigation
Feb. 17, 2022 - DA says jailer 'unjustifiably' used pepper spray on inmates
March 1, 2022 - Woman accused of getting arrested to smuggle fentanyl into jail
July 11, 2022 - Health department files compliance proceeding against jail
March 23, 2023
Oklahoma multicounty grand jury releases its report following 14-month investigation
March 23, 2023 - Grand jury says jail should go back to sheriff. He doesn't want it
March 24, 2023 - Jail trust must go, grand jury says
April 3, 2023 - Undercover drug operations should be ongoing, DA says
April 4, 2023 - Interim jail CEO says changes are being made after grand jury report
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: The Oklahoma County Jail's troubled timeline since 2020
