Oklahoma prisons cancel county jail contracts to cut costs

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections is canceling contracts to house state inmates at county jails in a cost-saving move.

Director Joe Allbaugh said Wednesday the agency is looking for ways to close a projected $3 million budget hole through June 30, the end of the fiscal year. It’s part of a revenue shortfall of $34.6 million due to lagging state revenues.

The county jails charged $32 per day to house the inmates. The move should save about $775,000 through the end of the year.

The agency will move 224 inmates in 10 county jails to state prisons. The counties are Choctaw, Comanche, Cotton, Craig, Jefferson, Le Flore, Nowata, Okmulgee, Roger Mills and Tillman.

An additional 18 inmates will remain in jails in Greer and Marshall counties.