OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma County Jail Trust press conference Wednesday morning – the first one since Saturday night after the hostage situation – came just hours after News 4 received a State Department of Health Inspection on the jail.
“The food was inhumane,” said Angie Peterson, former inmate at Oklahoma County Jail.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health today released a new inspection report on the Oklahoma County Jail.
Dated March 8th, OSDH telling Jail Administrator Greg Williams that “[if] the deficiencies listed in the report have not been corrected, within sixty (60) days after delivery of the report, the commissioner of health shall be authorized to file a complaint with the attorney general or the district attorney.”
“It did point out some things that we do have. Some sight checks that we don’t make. Sometimes the food on occasion is late being delivered. Again, those things can be directly related to insufficient staff or shortages of staff,” Williams said.
The inspection took place February 5th. Noting during the month of January “the facility failed to notify the Oklahoma State Department of Health of forty (40) serious injuries of inmates requiring transfer to an outside medical facility.”
Some floors having “a lack of staff presence on a regular basis.” And “indicated hourly sight checks were not performed.”
Plus OSDH “observed food service carts not being delivered to the units in a timely manner, in order for a hot meal to be served…”
“The food in there is so horrible that the mystery meat bologna sandwich is the best they can do,” Peterson said.
But when we asked the jail specifically about the allegations from inmates that were also noted in the report, we had to ask twice before a direct answer was given.
“On any given shift, I have no doubt that there has been delays or that a meal might be colder. Those are ongoing concerns,” said Tricia Everest, Oklahoma County Jail Trust Chair.
News 4 spoke with former inmate Devin Matthis as he walked out of the Oklahoma County Jail. Matthis in the jail during Saturday’s hostage situation.
“I was actually in the trustee pod. They just got us locked down,” Matthis said.
The report saying “a black residue which appeared to be mold and mildew on the walls and floors.” Matthis telling News 4 the same thing– before he even knew of the report.
“Black mold infested everywhere. ******* ***** food,” Matthis said. “I was working in the kitchen so it sucks.”
The report also saying live cockroaches were also seen in one of the cells.
