State Lawmakers Push To Bring Back Prison Rodeo

The State Penitentiary rodeo in McAlester ended in 2009, leaving the dilapidated arena empty for the past decade. Now state lawmakers are working to revive the rodeo.

Thursday, March 7th 2024, 6:33 pm

By: News 9, Haley Weger

MCALESTER, Okla. -

For 70 years, the rodeo at the State Penitentiary in McAlester brought in thousands of visitors and thousands of dollars.

The rodeo ended in 2009, due to budget cuts, leaving the dilapidated arena empty for the past decade. Now state lawmakers are working to revive the rodeo.

“When you drive into McAlester there's a statue of an inmate on a bucking bull. That is how people think of McAlester and southeast Oklahoma and Big Macs and this will draw people,” said Rep. Jim Grego, ( R) Wilburton.

Rep. Grego says since he’s been in the legislature, there has been a push to bring back the rodeo. He says it not only brings money into the Department of Corrections but also the city of McAlester, with the number of tourists visiting motels and local businesses. “It's too popular with the community in that part of the state, it's too popular with the inmates. It's just an economic benefit for the whole part of the state, not just the prison,” said Rep. Grego.

Representative Grego has introduced a bill to fund the restoration and expansion of the prison rodeo arena, which he says is expected to seat up to 30,000 people. “This will be a large enough venue that we're hoping to have concerts. PBR is very interested in bringing their show to town, professional cowboys want to come to a rodeo. We got barrel racers, it's a tremendous interest all over,” said Rep. Grego.

There was some debate over the bill, while democratic representatives argued that the money should be going to mental health and prison reform. But Grego says the rodeo has many benefits. “What we're looking at is giving the inmates themselves a reason to do good, a reason to be on the rodeo team. I think it's just a win-win for the inmates as well as producing revenue for DOC,” said Rep. Grego.

The new arena is expected to cost $8.3 million.

The legislation passed off the house floor on Thursday, with a similar bill passing out of the Senate. The bills are now eligible to be heard in the opposite chambers of origin.