City of Tulsa Jail to Open March 1

2/28/2018

City officials announced today that the City of Tulsa Jail will open tomorrow and begin accepting prisoners at midnight.

In 2017, the City of Tulsa announced it would open and operate its own municipal jail, similar to surrounding municipalities, eliminating the need to send arrestees for city charges to Tulsa County’s David L. Moss Justice Center. 

“The opening of the City of Tulsa Jail will give the City of Tulsa and the Tulsa Police Department the operational independence that will allow for the expansion of jail diversion programs, alternate detention options and increased operational efficiency,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “Based on streamlined processes we are putting in place, officers will be able to return to the field more quickly for high priority calls, crime prevention and community policing efforts.”

The City Jail is managed by the Tulsa Police Department and staffed by detention officers from G4S Security. Jail staff consists of 25 detention officers, a G4S security manager and a Tulsa Police Sergeant. 

“We have scrutinized our operational practices to increase efficiencies that will include cost savings while allowing necessary incarceration when warranted by court decisions,” Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan said. “This is a win-win for our officers and the department.”

Beginning tomorrow, individuals detained by officers for city charges and/or warrants will be taken to the Tulsa City Jail to be processed. If an individual only has state charges and/or state warrants, they will be taken to Tulsa County’s David L. Moss Justice Center, 300 N. Denver Ave. 

If an individual has mixed city and state charges, unless charged with a dangerous state felony, the individual will be taken to the Tulsa Municipal Jail to have city charges processed first before being taken to Tulsa County’s David L. Moss Justice Center.

The City of Tulsa’s jail can hold prisoners up to 10 days pursuant to state standards. Due to the City’s generous docket add-on policy, municipal inmates can see a judge any day a docket is available, Monday-Friday. 

“Placing the City Jail and Municipal Courts in the same building will provide savings within our department and expedite court processes,” Municipal Courts Director Kelly Brader said. “In most instances, individuals detained will see a judge the very same day or next day compared to the few days or a week it could take when our facilities were not in the same building.”

The City of Tulsa also has an agreement with the Okmulgee County Criminal Justice Authority (OCCJA), 315 W. 8^th St. in Okmulgee, to be used for overflow capacity and for the occasional municipal sentence longer than 10 days.

For more information about the Tulsa City Jail, visit: www.tulsapolice.org/jail