Milestones in Motion: Oklahoma County's new jail project stays on course with public oversight board

One year after voters strongly approved a bond to build a new jail, progress on the numerous necessary steps before a groundbreaking is still on track. To start the process, a promise was kept to voters to increase transparency and accountability in the design and construction process.

Community-centric oversight

The first step was appointing a public oversight board to provide Oklahoma County residents and taxpayers with a higher level of information on the process than what was shared 30 years ago when the current facility was being built. The Board of County Commissioners unanimously created the Oklahoma County Citizens’ Bond Oversight Advisory Board for the Construction of a New Oklahoma County Detention Center.

Expert guidance

The board includes seven talented community members all with extensive experience in the construction industry, procurement process and/or public works process.

Each commissioner appointed one member and then four members-at-large were chosen:

Sandino Thompson—Commissioner Carrie Blumert Appointee

Xavier Neira—Commissioner Myles Davidson Appointee

Patrick McCoy—Commissioner Brian Maughan Appointee

Appointees at-large: Steve Mason, chair; Larry Stevens, vice-chair; Joanne Davis; and Mike Mize.

Architects of change

The oversight board has been busy. After an extensive public bidding process, the architect team of the national firm, HOK, and local OKC firm, Rees Associates, were selected. The county completed its contract with HOK/Rees and began the program space planning process. The architect will also assist in land site selection. More than 10 land parcels were submitted from public and government entities. The oversight board has already whittled that list down to five but is re-opening the process for the public or government entities to submit additional land parcels.

Favorable response

The first set of $45 million bonds was sold to facilitate contracting the design architect, purchasing land and other initial items. Fortunately, the bond market responded positively to the bond sale offering, bringing in an interest rate of 3.23% APR. That 3.23% APR is lower than the new jail bond campaign projected at 4.5% and much lower than the 10% those critics of the new jail bond falsely promoted.

Federal support

The process has also been assisted by the federal government as the National Institute of Corrections, an agency under the U.S. Department of Justice, came to Oklahoma City to conduct a training, Planning of New Institutions (PONI). The PONI training session included 19 participants including county officials, jail trustees, bond oversight advisory board members and the architect team. The PONI training is conducted nationwide for governments that are starting the new jail/prison planning process. The intensive three-day training covered numerous topics including space planning, program function planning, transition planning, staffing challenges and more.

Looking ahead

As the project takes its next strides, finalizing site selection and delving into the design of crucial components such as medical/behavioral healthcare centers, intake, and secured areas, Oklahoma County's commitment to redefining its correctional system remains resolute.

This isn't just a construction project; it's a testament to the power of collective vision and diligent execution. As the county embraces the future of its detention center, it does so with the promise of a facility that values transparency, innovation, and compassion, reflecting a community that's ready to transform challenges into opportunities.