OJA releases plan to solve problems cited in audit

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A plan to solve problems cited in a critical audit of the Office of Juvenile Affairs calls for creating an internal group to monitor the agency's contracts better and for seeking

Saturday, May 21st 2005, 12:31 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A plan to solve problems cited in a critical audit of the Office of Juvenile Affairs calls for creating an internal group to monitor the agency's contracts better and for seeking additional legislative funding.

State Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan released a report last month that questioned $1.1 million in costs, saying the Office of Juvenile Affairs did not monitor contracts with private, nonprofit agencies to ensure that troubled youths were getting required services.

Earlier audits of the agency pointed to similar contract problems that apparently went uncorrected.

``It is our responsibility to monitor and provide oversight of almost 600 contracts, and the bottom line is, we were not doing a very good job,'' agency Director Richard DeLaughter said Friday.

The Board of Juvenile Affairs took no action on the strategic plan.

Among other things, the audit found that OJA officials may have improperly handled contracts and misused state money. Auditors also found gross overbillings, payments made for a non-existent program, and money apparently funneled into political campaigns.

In the short term, community-based youth services, community-at-risk services and gang prevention and intervention contracts will be affected. Contractors will have to provide more detailed budget information.

The long-term plan includes conducting a statewide study on how to most efficiently spend money and comparing Juvenile Affairs' contracting with other state agencies.

Last month, the Board of Juvenile Affairs formed a three-member audit subcommittee, but board Chairman Charles Nobles and member Charles Jackson resigned from the group Friday because of their past work for Oklahoma Association of Youth Services member agencies.

``I have been informed by OJA counsel that we have the appearance of conflict,'' Nobles said.

The new subcommittee's new board members are Ray Don Jackson, district attorney for Alfalfa, Dewey, Major and Woodward counties; Jay Keel, an administrator for the Chickasaw Nation Youth and Family Services, and Lonelia Simmons, a Muskogee schoolteacher.