The Oklahoma
Board of Juvenile Affairs approves further reduction of the number of juvenile
detention beds the Office of Juvenile Affairs (OJA) will contract for in the
upcoming fiscal year.
The revised
number of juvenile detention beds represents 14% fewer than the amount approved
by the board five months ago.
“OJA’s juvenile services unit has been working to lower
our population for OJA custody youth in all levels of out-of-home placement to
help ease the burden on youth and staff in congregate care and stay ahead of
anticipated staffing shortages across the juvenile justice system,” said OJA
interim Executive Director Rachel Holt
The revised
detention plan approved calls for 229 contracted juvenile detention beds in 12
counties.
OJA looked at
detention usage for a nine-month period from July 2019 to April 2020. The low
detention usage since the coronavirus outbreak prompted efforts to reduce the
population and lower new admissions was factored in as a reason for the drastic
decrease.
“As a result, detention usage has decreased more than 40%
due to the statewide cooperation between OJA, judges and district attorneys,”
she said. “Because the pandemic is still ongoing and the absolute reality of
state budget cuts for fiscal year 2021, it is incumbent on OJA to reassess the
state plan for detention at this time.”
OJA pays each
detention center for a certain number of beds, whether they are used or not.
Oklahoma’s
juvenile detention population on March 18 was 215. Today’s population is 119.
The 266
contracted beds called for in the plan approved in December is too high, Holt
said.
“I can’t justify that to the Legislature, I can’t justify
that to the governor, I can’t justify that to the taxpayers,” Holt told board
members
The plan
approved today adjusts the secure detention plan approved in December by
allocating contracted juvenile detention beds to detention centers in the
following counties:
- Beckham County: Zero, down from
6.
- Canadian County: Remains at 10.
- Cleveland County: Remains at 26.
- Comanche County: Remains at 25.
- Craig County: Remains at 16.
- Garfield County: Remains at 10.
- LeFlore County: Remains at 10.
- Lincoln County: Remains at 12.
- Oklahoma County: 50, down from 60.
- Pittsburg County: Remains at 10.
- Pottawatomie County: Remains at 12.
- Texas County: Zero, down from 6.
- Tulsa County: 40, down from 55.
- Woodward County: Remains at 8.
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