Rader Center official says facility is understaffed by about 25 percent

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- A state juvenile affairs official says the L-E Rader Center in Sand Springs is understaffed because of a large number of retirements and resignations.

The 188-bed center houses medium to maximum high-risk juvenile offenders.

Ron Harp is the eastern zone administrator for the Office of Juvenile Affairs. Harp says O-J-A has been recruiting heavily and has been using job fairs to solicit applications.

He estimates the facility is understaffed by about 25 percent.

It was understaffed from 35 to 40 percent in July.

He says the majority of the facility now has a client-to-staff ratio of 7-to-1.

Harp says although the center faces staffing shortages, staff and resident assaults haven't increased.

Harp says staff accountability has been a problem. Some administrators would come and go as they pleased and were pretty much "ghost employees."