Leadership notes: June 28 an important opportunity to benefit our community

By Roy Williams / Inside OKC / June 13, 2022

Though the circumstances that have led us to this moment in our history as a community are somewhat complex, my message this month is pretty simple. If you are a resident of Oklahoma County, I ask you to vote “yes” on June 28 to build a new county jail. A “yes” vote will enable construction of a new detention facility without raising taxes from current rates.

The problems with the current Oklahoma County Detention Center are well known and well documented. While we have made remarkable progress in addressing a number of problems and inefficiencies in our local criminal justice system, resulting in a lower daily inmate population, we simply haven’t had the ability to do what’s needed most to make our system one that functions efficiently and that isn’t a huge economic drain. Quite frankly, it’s a notable exception in the story of our success as a metro over the last 30 years.

Learn more: fixthejail.com

Now, we have a rare opportunity to address the greatest remaining issue in our local criminal justice system – the jail itself – without raising taxes. A new building is expected to save an estimated $5.2 million per year in staffing and operational costs, allowing the county to better maintain and operate the facility. Rather than a barrier to transforming people into productive citizens, a new facility will enable greater efficiency, proper space for more of the diversion programs that have been successful in getting people out of the jail who don’t need to be there, as well as new job training and other programs that will benefit our community and help make us safer, and much better off economically in the long term.

Please go to fixthejail.com to see how you can help remove a stain from the fabric that holds us together as a city and a county by voting yes on June 28. It’s a simple action that can have a multifaceted positive impact.

Sincerely,