Oklahoma County officials approved a motion to dissolve the jail trust that operates the county’s detention center during a special Budget Board meeting on Wednesday morning. If the jail trust is dissolved, the facility would fall back under the county sheriff’s control.
The jail trust, formally known as the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority, was created six years ago to address persistent issues at the Oklahoma County jail. Community leaders recognized a need for change in oversight and hoped a panel of diverse perspectives would bring new outcomes for the troubled facility.
But the trust has been the subject of near-constant controversy since it began, unable to address poor conditions inside the county lock-up. The jail has gained notoriety for repeated failed inspections, detainee deaths and insufficient staffing…