This Community Voices opinion piece was submitted by Del City Ward 1 Councilman Michael Dean:
The new Oklahoma County jail should be located where it is legal to build. This is not a not-in-my-backyard problem, it is a legal problem that will cost the county millions of dollars if ignored.
Oklahoman’s have responded to violent crimes in our state by taking a stand against violent criminals. After children were violently attacked and kidnapped from parks, schools, and campgrounds, we were sickened and cried out “NEVER AGAIN”. Our state government passed laws to help prevent similar crimes.
One law is known as the “Sex Offenders Registration Act”. It was separately placed in Title 57 that deals with Prisons and Reformatories (jails). The Sex Offenders Act applies to jails.
Title 57 Section 590.1E states that it is unlawful for an entity (County) to knowingly operate a structure (jail) in violation of this section. Section 590A states that it is unlawful to temporarily reside within a 2000-foot radius of a School Site, Park, Playground, or a Childcare facility. Convictions of this section result in fines and imprisonments.
County Jails incarcerate people accused of committing any type of crimes. Most will be released on bail before they are tried. A potential violent and or sex offender will be released from the jail at all hours, without transportation, into our park. This sets the stage for a potentially dangerous situation to occur.
The County will be both Criminally and Civilly liable for incarcerating sex offenders on this site. Unfortunately, it will take a victim and a jury for the county to finally understand that they are accountable under this law. Then, we will be forced to potentially build another new jail in a correct site to resolve additional litigation. Let’s protect our children in Trosper Park that abuts this jail site, two daycares within 500 feet, and our school children in their ballfields 700 feet away. Let’s not have to say NEVER AGAIN – AGAIN.
/s/Michael Dean, Del City Councilman Ward 1
Free Press from time to time invites or accepts opinions written by persons who are not in our organization but are known to us in the community or state. If you would like to write an opinion for us, please write to info (at) freepressokc.com.
