PETITION TO THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND STATE LEADERSHIP

Demand for Immediate Cell-by-Cell Inspections, Facility Repairs, and Humane Living Conditions Across All ODOC Facilities

Targeted Decision-Makers:

Governor of Oklahoma

Director, Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC)

Oklahoma State Legislature

 
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
We, the undersigned—families of incarcerated Oklahomans, formerly incarcerated individuals, correctional staff advocates, and concerned citizens—call on the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to urgently address hazardous and unconstitutional conditions across state facilities.

A criminal sentence in Oklahoma is a sentence to lawful confinement; it is not a court order to endure life-threatening environmental conditions, broken infrastructure, or unchecked violence.

 
CRITICAL CONDITIONS DEMANDING IMMEDIATE REFORM

Extreme Heat and Cold: Multiple state facilities—including the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center (LARC), Dick Conner Correctional Center, and Oklahoma State Penitentiary—lack functional air conditioning or reliable heating. During Oklahoma summers, indoor temperatures regularly exceed 100°F, creating extreme heat-stroke risks, while winter freezing leads to dangerous conditions without heat or adequate thermal blankets.

Plumbing and Sewage Failure: Incarcerated individuals are routinely housed in cells without running, potable water or functioning plumbing. Sewage backups into living spaces create severe biohazards and violate basic health standards.

Deprivation of Light and Ventilation: Extended housing in windowless cells without access to natural daylight or proper air circulation inflicts documented physical and psychological harm.

Misclassification and Capacity Overruns: Facilities operating over design capacity and placing incarcerated individuals at improper security levels create severe safety risks, which have led directly to preventable violence and preventable deaths.

 
EXAMPLE IN SUPPORT OF THIS CLAIM
During extreme summer heat waves, indoor temperatures at facilities without functional climate control have risen well over safe thresholds, with reports of incarcerated individuals pouring toilet water on themselves to survive. In August 2023 at Dick Conner Correctional Center, multiple incarcerated men died in un-air-conditioned housing units during a 100°F+ heatwave, demonstrating the life-threatening impact of uncorrected facility temperatures.

 
FORMAL DEMANDS AND IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

Independent Cell-by-Cell Audit: Commission a mandatory annual, cell-by-cell inspection of every ODOC facility. To ensure transparency, the inspector must be a third-party entity entirely unaffiliated with ODOC (such as the Oklahoma Department of Health or an independent federal monitor).

Public Transparency: Publish the complete, unedited inspector report online for public access every year.

Cap on Facility Capacity: Enforce a strict ban on any state or private facility operating above its designated maximum operational capacity.

Funding Source: Utilize available federal criminal justice and infrastructure grants alongside State Capital Improvement Bonds to immediately finance climate control, plumbing overhauls, and essential structural repairs without delaying action.

 
TIMELINE FOR COMPLIANCE AND CONSEQUENCES

Within 30 Days: Initiation of the independent cell-by-cell inspection process across all state-operated facilities.

Within 90 Days: Release of the public facility assessment report and immediate installation of temporary, functional cooling/heating units and emergency water restoration.

Within 12 Months: Complete installation of universal HVAC systems, full plumbing restoration, and correction of misclassified housing assignments.

Consequences of Non-Compliance:
If these terms and deadlines are not met, we demand that state oversight committees initiate immediate legislative audits of ODOC’s budget, trigger mandatory federal court interventions for Eighth Amendment violations, and withhold executive leadership administrative bonuses until all living quarters meet basic constitutional standards.