Agreements give Comanche County two new places to house county prisoners

Comanche County Commissioners have two new agreements that will allow them to house up to 30 prisoners in other counties.

Monday’s agreements with the Grady County Criminal Justice Authority and the Okmulgee County Criminal Justice Authority is part of the board of commissioner’s ongoing effort to get the population in the Comanche County Detention Center below the 283 prisoner level specified by state health officials. While the county already has an agreement with Tillman County to house up to 100 Comanche County prisoners, that is not enough to draw down a number that frequently tops 300.

Acting in their capacity as the Comanche County Facilities Authority, commissioners approved one-year contracts with the Grady and Okmulgee county authorities. They have plans to approve an agreement with a third entity next week.

Jail Administrator Bill Hobbs said Monday’s action gives Comanche County 30 more beds: 15 in Grady County and 20 in Okmulgee County. Hobbs said those numbers are not set in stone; the actual number of prisoners housed will depend on how many beds are available when Comanche County needs them. The county’s alternative is to pay a set fee to guarantee a set number of beds, even though the county may not need them on a particular day.

Commissioners wanted the option of using beds when they need them, and Western District Commissioner Josh Powers said the county also needs the flexibility of “standby” beds, given the distance of some of the jails being used. Powers said the effort will require Comanche County Detention Center administrators to use their best judgment when deciding when and where to send surplus prisoners.

Hobbs said Okmulgee could be a pricey venture. In addition to paying that county a per-day per-prisoner fee (that fee is $40 for Tillman County), there is transportation cost. Taking a prisoner to Okmulgee County is a 368 mile round trip and at 89 cents per mile, that’s $327.52 for every trip. Hobbs said that is why prisoners will be vetted and judgments made to determine which prisoners will be taken. In addition to taking the prisoners to Okmulgee County, Comanche County also would have to bring them back, Hobbs said.

Powers said that’s why a proposed agreement with Seminole County may be important, because that county is closer than Okmulgee County. Powers said he wanted to see a list of counties that Comanche County could rely on, giving local officials the option of a “standby list.”

“We have options if we lose some beds,” he said.

Tillman County will remain Comanche County’s first housing option because it is the closest facility, commissioners have said.