Tulsa County county commissioners say steps are being taken to improve the Tulsa County Juvenile Detention Center after a lawsuit accused staff of rape, neglect and molestation of the youths detained. County commissioners will now receive weekly status reports.
Commissioners say improvements must start with evaluating all staff at the youth detention centre and ensuring the right people are put in the right positions, even if that means some of them have to be made redundant.
Nearly 30 youths detained in juvenile court sued the center, accusing staff of abuse and neglect.
The county commissioners took over the operation of the prison a few weeks ago after the lawsuit was filed. The center has been run by the youth welfare office and a judge for more than 50 years.
David Parker was recently hired to lead the center. He says some of the improvements they are making include enforcing current rules, making school the top priority for residents, training staff in de-escalation tactics, and requiring them to wear professional uniforms. Parker says they will also be changing some of the current policies.
“I’m glad we’re continuing to improve. I’ll never be satisfied because once you’re satisfied, you’re probably not effective anymore. We’re learning something new every day,” Parker said.
The commissioners say they want to be transparent with the public and disclose all the activities at the centre.
“We want to make sure everyone knows what we’re doing. Transparency is our top priority, so we’ll continue to provide these weekly updates. We want to make sure the public knows exactly what we’re doing and the improvements we’re making,” said Tulsa County Commissioner Stan Sallee.
The other goal is to obtain accreditation of the detention center by the American Corrections Association, which will take more than a year.
