TWO OKLAHOMA JAILS MAY FACE CLOSURE

Authorities Say The Facilities Need To Meet State Standards

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Two Oklahoma jails face possible closure if their
operators don't upgrade the facilities to state standards.

The state Department of Health and the Oklahoma Fire Marshal's Office
ordered Payne County officials to reduce the number of inmates to 54 or the
jail would be shut down within 48 hours.

To that end, Payne County District Judge Donald L. Worthington said he
worked closely with Judge Phillip Corley and officials from the sheriff's
office when deciding which 32 inmates to release from the Payne County Jail
on Wednesday.

"We spent from approximately four in the afternoon until eight in the
evening looking over the list of inmates," he said. "The sheriff's office
was extremely thorough in the information they had about these people."

The jail population climbed to 103 over the Memorial Day weekend. Sheriff
Carl Hiner received the directive Tuesday and contacted Worthington for
help in determining which inmates would pose the least threat to the community.

Thirty-one of those released face felony charges. One inmate was being held
on a misdemeanor charge.

"We released no persons who were charged with violent crimes," Worthington
said.

Most were charged with drug-related offenses. Twenty of the inmates
released were awaiting trial on drug-related offenses; nine inmates were
sent to other jurisdictions where they face other charges and 12 were
released from jail sentences and ordered to serve house arrest.

In Sayre, Oklahoma's chief jail inspector told residents at town meetings
this week that they would have to fix the Beckham County jail or he would
close it.

"I gave them the truth," said Don Garrison, director of the Jail Inspection
Division of the State Health Department. "In that jail, there's not
anything that meets state standards."

The jail has needed repair for years, he said, but he has been lenient
because he knew county commissioners were planning to impose a seven-tenths
of a cent sales tax and build a new jail. The issue goes before voters June 12.

"I told them that if you don't pass the sales tax and you don't have
another plan, we'll have to shut down the jail," Garrison said.

The sales tax would run for 15 years, unless the county pays off the
proposed $5.8 million jail early. After the 15 years, the county would
continue to collect a quarter-cent sales tax to operate the jail.

Garrison told his audiences he has recommended to the state attorney
general to close the Johnston County jail, where voters have rejected two
efforts to raise money for a new one.

The original Beckham County Jail was built in 1911 and a new wing was added
in 1964. It has a legal capacity of 28, but the facility is usually filled
with more than 40 prisoners.

"This jail thing is becoming a crisis," Sheriff Scott Jay said.

Some problems include water pipes leaking and raw sewage sometimes backing
up into the jail, Jay said. Thirty-two inmates use one shower head.

"It is a pit," he said.