OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The mother of an inmate inside the Oklahoma County Jail claims her son did not receive medical treatment in a timely manner with an abscess he has been battling burst inside his cell. 

“If it bursts, he could die,” Jeanette Wilson told News 4. 

Wilson told KFOR her son allegedly battled a life-threatening situation inside the Oklahoma County Jail last month. 

“He’s like, ‘I have this abscess and the physician is saying he can’t do anything about it, basically I would have to see a surgeon and get it cut out,’” Wilson said. 

Wilson, who is a nurse, told News 4 she called the jail several times, demanding her son see a surgeon. 

“I emailed the trust and basically stated, just wanted you to know since no one could respond to me,” she said. 

Wilson said after that email to members of the jail trust, employees finally checked on her son and at that point, the abscess had allegedly grown so large, it burst. 

Jail Administrator Greg Williams sent News 4 the following statement on Monday: 

“Zachary Brooks arrived at Oklahoma County on March 8, 2021. He completed a sick call request form on March 23 and was seen in clinic March 24. During the March 24 visit a boil located on the right side of his anus was identified. The boil was red and intact at time of visit. Mr. Brooks received a Rocephin injection and an order for ten days of Augmentin twice daily. A surgery referral was approved by Medical Director Dr. Winchester if boil did not resolve after antibiotic treatment. That referral was pending completion of treatment which ended April 3rd, 2021. On March 26th, 2021 Mr. Brooks notified his mother his boil had begun to drain. Mr. Brook’s mother contacted the jail requesting he be seen in medical. Mr. Brooks was seen on March 26th and March 27th in which he allowed medical staff to clean and apply absorbent gauze to his wound. Due to the nature of the intimate location of his wound Mr. Brooks requested to have wound supplies and complete wound care himself. Wound supplies were provided on 3/27 and 3/29. On 3/29 Mr. Brooks reports small amount of drainage and no pain. On March 31 Mr. Brooks declined additional supplies reporting his wound was closed. Due to the sensitive nature of the wound’s location and the respect for Mr. Brooks modesty the medical staff believed Mr. Brooks report. After medication completion on Friday April 3rd Mr. Brooks was seen that following Monday April 5th by the Medical Director, Dr. Winchester for a follow up. Mr. Brooks was examined and the wound on his anus has resolved without further need for additional intervention.
During oral antibiotic treatment two doses were missed due to the March 27th incident that resulted in a facility wide lock down for staff safety.”

“If I hadn’t pitched such a fit over this, this captain would have never been at my son’s cell,” Wilson said. 

Wilson also told KFOR her son hasn’t had a shower in days, has dealt with bed bugs and is forced to sleep on the floor of his cell. 

These allegations were confirmed in an Oklahoma State Department of Health inspection report that News 4 obtained last week. 

On Monday, News 4 also obtained all of the complaints filed with OSDH regarding issues inside the over the past year, since the trust took over. 

In those complaints, many of the same problems listed in the inspection report were also found to be substantiated, including bed bugs in cells, inmates not being served hot meals and having no hot water.  

Williams said during a press conference last week that a serious staffing shortage is to blame. 

“They deserve hot meals. They deserve a shower. They deserve hot water, which they don’t have, and if they can’t give it to them, then somebody else needs to take over,” Wilson said.