Kay County Faces Possible Fine For Substandard Jail Conditions

Tuesday, August 22nd 2006, 6:17 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- State Health Department officials say a $95,000 fine proposed for Kay County is lenient considering the number of deficiencies inspectors found at the county jail.

The jail in Newkirk was originally inspected in December. A follow-up inspection in July found the county had made little progress to address the problems.

A judge is expected to decide within the next 10 days whether to impose the fine or to take up the issue again in 90 days to see if the county has made progress.

Jail inspectors say they found overcrowding, insufficient lighting, unsanitary mattresses and showers plagued with mold, peeling paint and missing drain covers.

Jail officials later learned that more than half of the 71 cells in the jail either would not lock or inmates could open the doors from inside.