Oklahoma County jail is running out of money

Budget crisis looms for the Oklahoma County jail—potential exhaustion of operating funds by August raises serious concerns about public safety and the facility.

Friday, June 27th 2025, 11:07 pm

By: Matt McCabe


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Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed a statement made by another commissioner to Oklahoma County District 1 Commissioner Jason Lowe. The story has been updated to reflect proper attribution to the statement Commissioner Lowe provided.

The Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority announced Friday it is projecting a $5.8 million budget shortfall, which it expects will leave the county jail without operating funds by August 1.

The news simmered among trustees during a meeting Friday morning. Trustee Derrick Scobey was among the most vocal.

"The community criticism we have endured is not unwarranted," he said. "It reflects the legitimate concerns of taxpayers and citizens who expect competent professional management of public institutions."

While Scobey acknowledged he had considered moving to dissolve the jail trust, he said he wouldn't do it. He believed returning the jail's operations to the sheriff's office would be saddling the agency with a major problem.

"We simply do not have enough resources to properly fund and operate this jail to the standards that public safety and human dignity demands," he said.

The facility's projected annual revenue is $38.8 million, whereas the projected expenses are $44.7 million.

“These numbers are not abstract accounting exercises,” wrote Paul Timmons, interim chief executive officer of the Oklahoma County Detention Center, in a news release. “This is about whether we can pay our staff, maintain basic safety and sanitation, and meet the legal obligations to everyone housed in our facility. Our dedicated team of detention officers, medical staff, and support personnel work hard every single day under extremely challenging conditions. They deserve to know that we will fight to secure the resources needed to support them and keep everyone safe.”

The operational funding issues compounds the existing problem the county faces: unable to fund construction for a new county jail. County commissioners previously indicated they will likely ask voters next year to approve more funding for a future jail; to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.

“I support the trust and think they have done good work in a number of areas. I always welcome opportunities to review and see if additional improvements can be made. As always, I’m grateful to the citizens who serve for free on the jail trust. We are fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers," wrote District 2 Commissioner Brian Maughan in a statement to News 9.
“I was surprised by today’s announcement of a significant shortfall. This announcement highlights the concerns expressed at today’s meeting that additional revenue streams must be found. In the short term, however, the county BET and Budget Board will need to have a discussion and ask the Trust to provide additional details to support their projections," wrote District 1 Commissioner Jason Lowe in a statement to News 9.
"Today's announcement from the jail trust regarding a projected budget shortfall is deeply concerning. As stewards of public funds and public safety, we must ensure that the jail is managed transparently, responsibly, and sustainably," wrote District 3 Commissioner Myles Davidson in a statement to News 9.
Matt McCabe

Matt McCabe joined the News 9 team in May 2023 as a multimedia journalist. He’s an award-winning journalist and previously worked in Rockford, IL and Kansas City, MO. Matt is very passionate about visual journalism and served on the board of the National Press Photographers Association.

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