County leaders grapple with prolonged Oklahoma County jail releases

Oklahoma County leaders are voicing concerns over delays in releasing county jail inmates, which are leading to overcrowding issues. They said it can take, on average, two and a half days to release citizens booked on municipal charges.

A spokesperson for the Oklahoma County Detention Center said on Wednesday it comes down to staffing and right now, the jail does not have enough detention officers, leading to lengthy release times of inmates.

Oklahoma County leaders questioned numbers from Oklahoma County Jail Trust administrators during a meeting last week. County commissioners and judges are concerned that citizens arrested on municipal charges are being held in the jail longer than usual after bonds are posted or orders of release are issued.

“We need to make sure people are processed within a couple of hours and get in and get out,” said Commissioner Jason Lowe, District 1, Oklahoma County.

Lowe said the jail release process for municipal charges should not take two-and-a-half days as he said data has shown.

“Our jail is overcrowded at the moment,” said Lowe.

A spokesperson for the jail said the daily jail population is at its highest since 2022. Mark Opgrande said that was partially due to Oklahoma City police arresting about one thousand more people this year than at this time in 2024. Opgrande said a jail staffing shortage compounds the problems.

“Again, we recognize there are issues we are working through with not having an optimal staffing level,” said Mark Opgrande, Oklahoma County Detention Center.

Lowe recognized that the jail is in a tough situation. He said some arrests could be avoided altogether if local police departments would cite and release.

“People who are charged with non-violent offenses, such as misdemeanors they need to be released immediately,” said Lowe. “Cited on the spot and then show up to court and litigate their case.”

Lowe said a vote for a county sales tax next year could help fully fund the jail and keep it properly staffed.

The jail is holding an academy for new detention officers next month. Jail officials said the goal is to hire and train 20 new officers.

According to the jail spokesperson, the Oklahoma City Police Department’s municipal division reported the average release time in July was 16 hours.