Tulsa World: UPDATED: Immigration agency moves inmates to Tulsa jail

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UPDATED: Immigration agency moves inmates to Tulsa jail

By KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer
Published: 8/4/2008 3:16 PM
Last Modified: 8/4/2008 7:31 PM

Dozens of inmates held at the Oklahoma County Detention Center for immigration reasons were transferred to the Tulsa Jail on Saturday after a U.S. Department of Justice report concluded that certain conditions at the Oklahoma County center violated the constitutional rights of detainees.

Mark Myers, public information officer for the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, said Monday that a total of 160 federal inmates were transferred from the detention center to the Tulsa and Grady county jails.

The inmates were either in the custody of the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the U.S. Marshals Service, Myers said.

Neither the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the Oklahoma County Detention Center, nor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, would confirm how many inmates were moved to the Tulsa Jail over the weekend.

Chief Deputy Tim Albin said the jail’s contract with ICE prohibited him from commenting on specific inmate movement, but he did say that since the jail is a certified ICE detention center, it is not unusual for ICE prisoners to be sent to the jail when the need arises.

Figures provided by the Tulsa Jail show the number of inmates booked into the jail jumped from 92 on Friday to 184 on Saturday, then dropped to 77 Sunday.

An on-line review of the Tulsa Jail’s booking records found that more than 80 inmates were booked into the jail Saturday on “ICE HOLDS.”

Detainers, or holds, are placed on individuals found to be in violation of immigration laws or on individuals whose immigration status requires further investigation.

The 24-page Justice Department report cites four areas in which the detention center fails to provide for detainees: reasonable protection from harm; constitutionally required mental health-care services; adequate housing, sanitation and environmental protections; and protections from serious fire safety risks.

In a statement released Monday, Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel noted that his office provided a 148-page response to concerns voiced by Justice Department officials during their last visit to the detention center in April 2007.

“The Department of Justice letter of finding and Jail response report you have been provided a copy of today are both now over a year old and most of the corrective action was made immediately, has been completed, or is ongoing,” Whetsel said.

The influx of ICE inmates has not strained capacity at the Tulsa Jail. Figures provided Monday show the inmate population at 1,403; the jail has 1,714 beds.

The Tulsa Jail receives $54.13 per day per ICE inmate housed there.

In late 2007, most of the U.S. Marshals Service inmates held at the Tulsa Jail were moved to the Creek and Okmulgee county jails. The transfers came just two weeks after an illegal immigrant was erroneously released from the Tulsa Jail on bond after he switched identities with another inmate.

Neither the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office nor the U.S. Marshals Service would confirm that the transfers were a response to the escape.

In June, the Tulsa Jail held a total of 261 ICE prisoners, records indicate.

Register for Email Newsletters: TulsaWorld.com now offers 25 Email Newsletters that can be sent directly to your inbox. Pick from topics and writers from every section, as well as Breaking News Alerts. Already a registered user? Visit the My Account home page or create a new account. By KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer

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	Report Comment eddieo, (8/4/2008 3:40:02 PM) I thought the OK County Jail was state-of-the-art. It is fairly new. Hmm... who built it? Jim Walter Homes?
	Report Comment QLC, (8/4/2008 3:48:04 PM) eddio, how do you know so much about the jail in oklahoma city? a little experience perhaps?
	Report Comment symplyrobin, Tulsa (8/4/2008 4:08:18 PM) Maybe the report was critical of personnel actions instead of facility conditions? Just a guess, I wouldn't know one way or the other.
	Report Comment chase, (8/4/2008 4:50:19 PM) why are these people not being sent back to there country of origin,who is paying for there care?
	Report Comment ok sooner, (8/4/2008 4:51:22 PM) The OK County jail is not new. It was build in the late 80's and had a bunch of design flows. Windows fell out. It is also has way to many inmates waiting to go to DOC.
	Report Comment ok sooner, (8/4/2008 4:53:10 PM) Chase INS is paying for it. That is how most jails are funded. DOC and the feds pay big to keep prisoners in County jail.
	Report Comment tfromtulsa, Tulsa (8/4/2008 5:31:24 PM) "In June, the Tulsa Jail held a total of 261 ICE prisoners." That's a lot of ICE. Probably just the tip of the ICEberg.
	Report Comment american, Broken Arrow (8/4/2008 5:52:31 PM) L @ t....that was funny!!!!! dazed..now now, you're going to start being called a racist!!!
	Report Comment Dazed and confused, tulsa (8/4/2008 6:57:45 PM) racist? Nope, a realist.
	Report Comment tfromtulsa, Tulsa (8/4/2008 7:08:50 PM) Dazed and confused - If you read TW's article "Tulsa Jail has flow of foreign inmates" you'll see that most of the "foreign inmates" (doesn't that sound exotic?) come from MEXICO! I'm just stating facts from TW's OWN article. For those of you who will call me names for stating the obvious, bring it on. I'm ready. I'll be waiting. Right here.
	Report Comment tfromtulsa, Tulsa (8/4/2008 7:09:52 PM) Hey, american! How are you? Are you staying cool? I'll bet the jail is really cool with all that ICE!
	Report Comment okie rigerunner, small town (8/4/2008 11:28:50 PM) I bet the sheriff loves this since he gets paid so much each day to feed them and gets to keep what is left over. he is cleaning up.
	Report Comment tfromtulsa, Tulsa (8/4/2008 11:37:57 PM) I think Sheriff Stanley Glanz does a great job of enforcing federal immigration law. Thank you and keep up the good work, Sheriff Glanz!
	Report Comment Dazed and confused, tulsa (8/5/2008 12:45:45 AM) LOL, thats what I was referring to!
	Report Comment Serenity, (8/5/2008 11:30:07 AM) TFROMTULSA: LADY, CAN YOU PUT SOME CLOTHS ON? tHERE ARE kids reading this forum, since they are out oif school. Have some decency. and please, eat something, you are so skinny!
	Report Comment Serenity, (8/5/2008 6:43:27 PM) tfromtulsa: Your face look familiar to me, oh! I know, you remind me of princess leah, but with less clothes. lady: We all know that most of the illegals come from Mexico, since Mexico is the closest Country to USA, so, what is your point?. Europeans dont come here because it is too far away and they have higher salaries, more benefits in their jobs, plus the Euro is stronger than the dollar.
	Report Comment tulsaokgirl, Tulsa (8/7/2008 2:36:50 AM) Yes, I know, I made mistakes in writing so you screwballs don't need to comment.

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