Oklahoma's Prison Population Sets New Record

The Oklahoma Department of Corrections says of April 25th, they have set a new record for the state's prison population at 62,000.

The announcement came during a meeting of the Board of Corrections at the Conner Correctional Center in Hominy.

"Today we have 62,000 in our system.  What bothers me is back in December we hit a record population of 61,000. It has taken just four months for an additional 1,000 people to be included in our numbers of incarcerated, supervised, and county jail backup," said ODOC Director Joe Allbaugh.

ODOC population numbers (04/25/2017):

• 33,865 - Supervision (GPS monitored, community supervision, probation/parole)
• 26,380 - Incarcerated (Prisons and halfway houses)
•   1,755 - County jail backup (People who have received judgment/sentencing and awaiting transport to ODOC)

Director Joe Allbaugh says state prisons are at 109-percent inmate capacity and some of relief is needed immediately.

"Programs are the way to get us out of this pickle long-term. In the short-term the only thing we can do is hope and pray the legislature will step up and give us the necessary money to acquire, rent, beg, or borrow more additional beds to handle the influx," said Director Joe Allbaugh.

The board was also told that there are currently 261 probation officers averaging a workload of 130 cases each, as well as 1,803 correctional officers at facilities across Oklahoma.