Disabled State Prisoners Moved

LEXINGTON, Okla. (AP) â€“ Oklahoma has opened its first prison designed for disabled and handicapped inmates.<br/><br/>Inmates are being moved this week into the new building at the Joseph Hart Correctional

Tuesday, February 20th 2007, 10:34 am

By: News On 6

LEXINGTON, Okla. (AP) â€“ Oklahoma has opened its first prison designed for disabled and handicapped inmates.

Inmates are being moved this week into the new building at the Joseph Hart Correctional Facility in Lexington. The unit will hold 262 inmates and 40 prisoners are being moved in each week until it's full.

The unit is designed for inmates in wheelchairs and those with vision impairments. It will also be used for inmates with cancer, on dialysis or recovering from major surgery. Inmates with dementia or in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease will also be housed at the facility.

State prison director Justin Jones says the inmates will be trained to work as orderlies and will provide services such as cleaning bedpans and lifting patients.