Epidemic overpopulation in Okla. prisons

Comanche County_There is an epidemic of overpopulation in Oklahoma prisons.  The adult inmate population keeps growing, but space to house prisoners doesn't.  It's no different locally.  The Comanche County Detention Center is at the state's mercy, and they currently have 78 inmates ready to move to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, but even the state is to full to take them.

The Comanche County Detention Center's (CCDC) capacity is set at 280, but every Monday morning the Commissioner's meeting reports that the number is closer to 300.  Although there are beds for all of the inmates, and the health department has approved the numbers, it's still not a safe situation.  "[We] currently have 78 ready for the department [of corrections].  I was not able to move anyone out last week," said CCDC Administrator Dale Cagle.

Cagle says he has no control over when the state will pick up inmates, and he says the population is at an all time high since he has been in office.  "The most since I've been in office, which is a little over two years, was probably 340-350 inmates."  He says that last week the CCDC was reporting 98% occupancy, which leaves them at maximum capacity.  "It makes it a little more dangerous because of the overcrowding...just being in quarters not designed for what it was set at."

While the CCDC's capacity is only 280, they house even more inmates by adding beds.  "We use what's called a boat, which is plastic, and it looks just like a boat, and we put a mat on top of it," said Cagle.

With the area's population growth of 10,000 over the next few years due to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), Cagle says that his only answer to the inmate problem is to adjust jail terms,  Such as doing away with the sentence of life without the possibility of parole, and reduction of time served for felony convictions to a lower percentage.  "Those two, if they were modified in some way, [in the] long term you would cut down on the number of people actually serving time which in Oklahoma right now, is 25,000 or so," said Cagle.

For the time being, Cagle says the CCDC will have to work with what they have, and hopes the Oklahoma DOC will come through by transferring inmates to the state facility.  Private prisons are also full - GEO Prison (the Lawton Correction Facility) only has 21 beds open at this time.

Count on 7News to keep you updated on their progress.