Cherokee Nation, Tulsa County At Odds Over Jail Contract Negotiations

The Cherokee Nation and Tulsa County are at odds over how much the tribe will pay to keep inmates at the jail.

After months of negotiations, they said they’ve made no headway, which means the Tulsa County Jail isn’t able to house any Cherokee inmates.

Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado said they have been negotiating with the Cherokee Nation since December, figuring out where to put inmates and at what cost.

"Then the decision came down and we had 20 days in which to secure a contract," Regalado said. 

The county said it wants to charge the tribe the same rate the federal government and the Creek Nation pay, which is $75 dollars per inmate per day. He said the jail did not have a contract with the nation before, but that changed because of the Supreme Court Ruling on tribal jurisdiction. 

Cherokee Nation Attorney General Sara Hill says $75 dollars per inmate per day is too much. Hill said other counties, like Mayes County, charge the tribe $42.

"When we have 13 of the 14 counties at a reasonable rate, and another county commands a much higher rate from us - it’s the same inmate, it's the same service as being provided in every county. So it’s difficult to understand why the costs they’re requesting a really going up," Hill explained.

Sheriff Regalado says all the rates they charge are set by the federal government and are not set to make a profit. Regalado said the programs at the jail are what makes it more expensive compared to other counties.

"Our jail can hold up to 2,000 inmates, and our jail has a hospital and has a mental health facility. We offer numerous programs to benefit our inmates. I think it’s very easy to see why our per diem rate is much higher," Regalado said. 

Regalado said not having a contract forces deputies to bring Cherokee inmates to jails much further away.

"So you could see why this is going to be certainly difficult and how it will impact our citizens. So, that’s why we hope that we can continue come to an understanding," Regalado said.