State Representative Responds To Lawsuit Filed By Inmates Against Department Of Corrections

Inside a crowded conference room at the state capitol, people shared stories of their experiences in the state's prisons. 

Representative Justin Humphrey says the Oklahoma Department of Corrections is violating human rights.

This meeting comes after Humphrey shared his concerns about a lawsuit recently filed against the DOC.

The lawsuit filed on behalf of seven inmates blames employees at the Great Plains Correction Center in Hinton for locking inmates in shower stalls and leaving them in there for days. The lawsuit goes on to explain how inmates say they did not have adequate food, water, or other basic needs.

"I have the email where I wrote them. They emailed me back and said nothing is going on," said Representative Justin "JJ" Humphrey (R-Lane).

Department of Corrections spokesperson Kay Thomspon says she cannot comment on pending litigation.

"Anytime we hear any issues or reports of violence or rapes, whether we have physical proof or not, we look into those," said Thompson.

Humphrey believes more lawsuits will come forward against the department as he says thousands of stories of inmate violations are being sent to him.

"I cannot do anything without you documenting, so if you have a family member. How do we do that? If you have a video, that's great," said Humphrey. 

The DOC says it has spoken with Humphrey directly.

"He has not brought us any solid evidence. A lot of his evidence is hearsay, but we still check into these issues," said Thompson.