The Oklahoma Department of Corrections has spent millions on body cameras with the stated goal of increasing transparency, but is refusing to release recordings to the public.
The agency’s general counsel maintains that releasing body camera footage could compromise security by showing a facility’s layout and sensitive areas, spokesperson Kay Thompson said. Prison reform advocates argue the decision to withhold recordings undermines public trust and allows bad actors to skirt accountability.
Numerous other public safety agencies that use body cameras, including police departments, sheriff’s offices and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, routinely release body camera recordings as mandated in the Oklahoma Open Records Act. The recordings have helped shed light on multiple high-profile incidents, including an Oklahoma City police officer’s excessive use of force toward an elderly man in 2024 and response to a hostage situation at the Oklahoma County Jail in 2021…