On August 3, 2006, Oklahoma County Public Defender Robert A. Ravitz, filed a Petition for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief in the State District Court of Oklahoma County on behalf Oklahoma County Detention Center [OCDC] inmates. Petitioner sought to challenge overcrowding and other conditions of inmate detention.

The Court (Judge Ray C. Elliot) conducted a hearing on August 23 and 24, 2006. Following the hearing, Judge Elliot issued his Order making findings of fact and conclusions of law. Judge Elliot rejected petitioner's overcrowding claim, but found that OCDC inmates were subjected to being triple celled, in violation of the Health Code. He ordered that OCDC discontinue that practice. Judge Elliot further found that OCDC inmates sentenced to the state prison system were being denied timely transfer to the state prison processing center, such that they were denied statutorily mandated opportunities to earn time credits to reduce their state prison sentences and also denied additional clothing provided by the state system. To rectify the situation, Judge Elliot ordered that the OCDC transport and transfer inmates to the custody of the Department of Corrections no later than 45 days after completion of the Judgment and Sentence(s) by the District Court.

We have no further information on this case.

Dan Dalton - 02/10/2007


compress summary