OKLAHOMA CITY — In the same meeting Monday where Oklahoma County Jail administrator Greg Williams will present his annual report on the jail, the Criminal Justice Authority or Jail Trust will consider firing him.
The resolution to put the item on the agenda was submitted by recently-appointed Jail Trust member, Pastor Derrick Scobey.
Scobey told Free Press that he chose not to participate in a press conference and statement by a coalition of Eastside clergy and activists who called for Williams removal. Scobey said he thought it would be inappropriate for a sitting member of the trust to be a part of that kind of action.
However, his requesting this agenda item to force the Trust to consider the demands of the group comes as no surprise. Scobey has expressed similar concerns about conditions in the jail before.
Williams is the first administrator hired by the Jail Trust since Oklahoma County Commissioners decided to take the Oklahoma County Sheriff out of the role of jail administrator and turn over the jail to the newly-formed Criminal Justice Authority or Jail Trust.
Doubts, criticism
Williams has been under fire from various community members for several years now.
Conditions in the jail and especially the deaths of detainees and assaults of detainees on each other has triggered ongoing outrage from some county residents.
To date, 14 deaths have occurred in the jail this year.
Recently, a female detainee was assaulted by a male detainee under poor supervision by detention officers. Other similar events from lax supervision have drawn sharp criticism from community members.
As well, multiple escapes mostly due to procedural errors of detention officers under Williams’ tenure have added to the doubts of the public about his ability to adequately run the jail.
An especially bruising episode early in Williams’ tenure was a chaotic hostage situation on one floor of the Jail, in March 2021.
A detainee holding a detention officer hostage was shot and killed by Oklahoma City Police officers who had responded to an uncommon 911 call for assistance from jail leadership.
A captain on duty in the jail that afternoon resorted to 911 after they could not get an organized response either from jail staff or the newly-elected Oklahoma County Sheriff.
Procedures for responding to disruptions had existed for years when the Sheriff was running the jail. However, with a new jail administrator and a new county Sheriff, those procedures had not been solidified before the hostage situation developed.
Annual report will show progress
Also on the agenda for the Jail Trust meeting Monday will be the annual report on the jail given by Williams.
The 17-page report, attached to the meeting agenda and embedded below, documents advancement in several areas such as security and health-promoting equipment being installed and in the county’s efforts to reduce the number of detainees.
OCDC-Annual-Report-2022
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
