Oklahoma County jail's health services haven't been certified in years. It's taking steps to change that

The CEO of the Oklahoma County jail wants the detention center's health care services certified by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.

Members of the county's jail trust recently approved Brandi Garner's recommendation to spend $48,960 to hire NCCHC Resources Inc. to provide the jail's administration with consulting and technical assistance to help it get there.

Health-related services inside the jail are provided to detainees both by medical professionals employed by Turn Key Health Clinic and by jailers.

A $7.627 million contract between the jail and Turn Key requires the contractor to work with the jail's staff to ensure detainees receive reasonable and necessary health, dental, psychiatric, pharmaceutical, and other health care and administrative services.

Oklahoma County experienced its first jail death of 2024 on Feb. 26 when detainee Derek Raymond Strother, 31, was found unresponsive in his cell.

Strother had been locked up since Dec. 18, the day after he reportedly had been involved in a fatal collision in northeast Oklahoma City. He was accused of second-degree murder, driving under the influence of alcohol and causing an accident that resulted in another driver's death.

More than 40 detainees have died inside the jail since a trust took over its operation on July 1, 2020.

More: Broken Trust: How the Oklahoma County jail leadership failed those it sought to protect

Obtaining certification is not required by state law. However, certification will provide assurances from an outside, third-party that quality health services are being provided to the jail's population.

Garner told trust members the consultant's doctors, psychiatrists, and contract and jail operations professionals will review how medical services are being delivered inside the jail by its entire staff and how those could be improved.

"It is no different than auditing ourselves, using a third-party entity," Garner said. "None of us who work there are medical experts who work there (outside of Turn Key).

"How am I to know for sure what right looks like? I have to trust that the company I am hiring is doing the job, and I think it is just smart to have that third-party oversight."

OK County jail's health services haven't been certified since 2018

Oklahoma County's jail, Garner said, previously was certified by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care between 2011 and 2018.

Once recertified, the jail will pay the commission about $13,000 annually to review its records each year (the amount is based upon an expected average daily population of 1,300 detainees).

The commission also will make on-site visits at least once every three years to review the jail's medical care operations.

"We want to look at what we are doing right, what can be improved and what gaps for services might exist" that need addressed, Garner said. "It is our biggest hot-button topic and the area where we seem to be having the most issues.

"Executing this agreement is the first step in that process," Garner said.

Providing quality health care to detainees is an important task for the jail, she added.

Beyond that, Garner said she intends to pursue more jail-related certifications in the future to make sure it delivers "top-notch services in all we do," she said.

The CEO already has instituted policies designed to boost the training of the jail's staff.

While Oklahoma only requires 40 hours of training for a jail detention officer, the jail trust now sends all new employees through a total of 440 hours of in-class and on-the-job training.

"If there is any way we can get better and improve our services, that is what we are going to do. We are trying to get ready to move into a new facility, and while that might be years away, we need to start now. This (the medical certification) is just the first of many accreditations I would like to pursue," Garner said.

Jail population continues to fall, latest information shows

Garner also updated trust members recently with the jail's latest average detainee count, the most common reason detainees are being brought to the jail and its ongoing efforts to boost its number of employees.

The jail's average number of detainees during February was 1,229 — the count March 11 was 1,211, down from about 1,400 the previous year — and a detainee's average length of stay inside the jail during the month was 6.14 days. An average of about 59 people were brought into the jail daily.

Garner said the jail's employee count this week stood at 256, about the same as it was the month before, despite bringing on board 14 new graduates from its most recent academy. The class members started their six-week, on-the-job training this week.

"That number has not been moving, much. We lost a few employees (after they were placed on administrative leave). That's just part of the job," Garner said.

Because the jail continues to operate understaffed, Garner said it is using some of its unused staff funding to incentivize both new and existing employees.

New recruits are being offered a $2,500 bonus, with half of that paid upon completion of a first year's service and the remainder paid after he or she completes a second year on the job.

Existing employees are being given a $300 bonus on their employment anniversary for every completed year of service, up to a maximum of $1,500 for five years.

Quarterly performance incentives also have been developed that will be paid to jail employees who meet set goals.

Beyond that, Summit, the contractor that provides detainees and staff with prepared meals, has begun offering free meals (including a salad bar) to jail staff within its dining area.

"That's been a really popular incentive. Although what was offered before was affordable, free is even better," Garner said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma County jail CEO wants detainee health care certified