OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — On Thursday afternoon, the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Advisory Council (CJAC) met at the new MAPS 3 Convention Center to consider hiring a new jail consulting firm.
CJAC has always been an idea group and was the body that developed the idea of a Jail Trust and a separate administrator for the jail other than the Oklahoma County Sheriff.
The group voted to hire the FSB (Frankfurt Short Bruza) architectural and engineering firm to investigate options for improving the physical facility that is the Oklahoma County Detention Center (Jail).
FSB has been involved in consulting, engineering, architecture, interior design, and other aspects of designing or redesigning spaces, many in the OKC metro. The latest example has been their involvement in the massive reworking of the Oklahoma State Capitol interior. They brought the building up to modern standards while recapturing the original look after many years and layers of smaller redesigns.
CJAC also set a timeline for community engagement and evaluation of options. Facility Consultant
A subcommittee of CJAC has been established to research and make recommendations to the larger body regarding the physical state of the persistently problematic Jail building.
While it has been widely reported and acknowledged that the Jail suffers from design flaws and continuously mounting problems with issues like mold, plumbing, and bedbugs, CJAC has recently been examining the possibilities for remediation of the building.
Some on the subcommittee would like to see a new annex built for the Jail. That annex would likely contain a much larger and more humane booking and arrival area.
The new facility, in theory, would also house the medical unit on the first floor so that people could receive care upon intake at the Jail. The current tower, in this proposal, would be reserved for detainees categorized as “high security.” Read more at Oklahoma City Free Press.
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