Oklahoma Department Of Corrections Preparing For Rollout Of Bodycams

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is preparing to roll out the use of body worn cameras in state prisons, and are selecting a group of officers to try them out for 60 days.

Several law enforcement agencies across the state now wear body worn cameras, but the Oklahoma Department of Corrections is upgrading their policy to join those ranks.

Oklahoma Department of Correction chief of communications Kay Thompson said the devices will help measure staff compliance with new evidence-based practices, reduce investigation times and promote better situational awareness.

"We're not trying to catch anybody doing anything wrong with body cams," Thompson said. "We're just trying to add a layer of protection and a layer of transparency."

The program will be rolled out at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, and at the Howard McLeod Correctional Center in Atoka.

The pilot program will kick off in late February, and officers in those locations who will wear bodycams have been selected and worn for around 60 days, they will be rolled out to the entire agency.