OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority (OCCJA) announced Friday that the Oklahoma County Detention Center (OCDC) faces a serious budget deficit, which would leave the detention center without proper operating funding.
This could happen as soon as August 1, according to officials.
OCCJA says that the budget projections revealed a $5.8 million gap in funding between anticipated revenues and essential expenses for the remainder of the financial year.
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Projections show a total annual revenue of $38.8 million, which consists of:
- $33.7 million from the Oklahoma County General Fund
- $5.1 million in Special Revenue (contracts with the Department of Corrections, municipal inmate fees, commissary sales, and phone revenue)
Projected expenses total $44.7 million, which is said to be driven by “unavoidable costs of operating the county’s only detention facility.”
- Payroll & Benefits for 392 Full-Time Employees: $30.2 million
- Maintenance & Operations: $13.4 million
- Capital Needs: $1 million
- Travel and Training Expenses: $44,000
The high fixed costs for running an aging and overcrowded facility, rising inmate healthcare needs, court-mandated safety staffing, and maintenance expenses are what have led to the financial burden, according to OCCJA leaders…