TULSA, Okla. — The clock is ticking for the Tulsa County Detention Center to make improvements or risk losing its license through the Oklahoma Juvenile Authority.
The new manager, David Parker, said the facility is making headway and, citing ultimate transparency, gave members of the media a tour on Monday.
Since the sexual abuse arrests of two former detention officers and a lawsuit claiming systemic, varying levels of abuse, the OJA gave the facility until the end of September to improve. The center was placed on a 60-day extended probation period on July 31.
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"We needed to start with the little things,” said Parker.
Parker said years of documented problems were not addressed until now. The suit claims many kids were excessively confined in cells and did not get the required amount of education. Parker says that's changed.
He plans to bring in more rewards-based entertainment, like radios and video games, to improve quality of life.
He also wants to repair relationships with the OJA and the Tulsa County Public Defender’s Office that represents many of the residents.
“We moved our public defenders in an office that is right next to mine, can’t get any more transparent than that,” said Parker.
Other little things include moving the cafeteria tables together. Parker said separate tables were causing fights “over who could sit where.”
When the lawsuit was filed in the spring, many employees who residents claim were abusive or allowed abuse were still working there. Parker said now there are “very few.”
“Those people that are still here, that are named in the lawsuit, I have nothing right now that shows me they are negligent in what they do,” he said.
Staffing has been and remains a big struggle. Parker said ultimately he needs double the amount of staff members they currently have.
“But that’s not unique,” he explained. “You look at this profession, the national average is 50% turnover.”
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The facility had help in recent weeks with staffing from the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.
“We had three applicants last week,” said Parker. “Fortunately or unfortunately, we only got one out of it after background checks.”
The state is expected to conduct another audit this week that could determine whether the facility can get off probation status.
“I think we have a really good shot at it, but I can’t guarantee it because there were a lot of deficiencies,” said Parker.
Parker said he is confident that the facility will stay open.
Some Tulsa County commissioners and some representatives from the Tulsa County Public Defender’s Office were also on the tour.
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