TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — The Oklahoma Department of Corrections has launched a new online “Deaths in Custody” dashboard aimed at increasing transparency and providing the public with updated information about deaths occurring within the state prison system.
The dashboard includes details such as the age of the individual, the facility where the death occurred, the date of the death, and when available, the manner of death. Officials say the tool will be updated regularly as new information becomes available.
However, the agency notes that the manner of death cannot be published until it is officially determined by the Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Those findings can take weeks or even months depending on the case.
“My team does manage the website so we are the ones that post it to the website and update it but we have several medical team operations who are helping feed us that data so that we can post in a timely manner,” Chief of Public Relations Kay Thompson said.
The department says the dashboard is intended to centralize data that was previously available mainly through open records requests, making it easier for the public to access in one place.
Officials also say the system is designed to counter misinformation and clarify reporting about deaths in custody, including where they occur and the circumstances involved.
The dashboard currently includes data beginning in 2024 and will continue to be expanded as additional information is verified and released.
ODOC says families are notified before any death is made public on the dashboard.
For some families, the data represents more than statistics.
Stephanie Anderson, whose father was previously incarcerated in multiple ODOC facilities, says greater transparency is long overdue and hopes the system will lead to accountability and improved care inside prisons.
“If you can take the information that you gain from that and you can make it better, then you are working towards a better system instead of just staying stagnant, which I think the prison system has been stagnant for a really long time,” Anderson said.
She added that while her father’s death was attributed to a medical issue, clearer documentation and reporting could help families better understand what happens behind bars.
ODOC officials say the dashboard is part of ongoing efforts to modernize communication tools and improve public access to agency data.
