OPEA

The Oklahoma Public Employees Association voiced concern over recent events at the Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center (COJC) in Tecumseh.

“The OJA director and commission have put juveniles and employees at risk by closing the Rader Center without plans to enhance security at COJC,” said OPEA Executive Director Sterling Zearley. “At the June meeting, OPEA presented a letter to OJA Board members stating employee concerns with the Rader Center closing and asked that the Board postpone the closing until the issues could be addressed.”

Below are excerpts from OPEA’s letter sent to Board members:

The Rader Center was constructed as Oklahoma’s only maximum secure juvenile treatment facility. Oklahoma’s other two juvenile facilities are both medium secure facilities. Most states across America have at least one maximum secure juvenile facility to secure and treat their most violent juvenile offenders. Juvenile offenders can and do commit the same heinous crimes that adult offenders commit; murder, rape, second degree burglary, arson, and drive by shootings. Over the years, all of these types of juvenile offenders have been placed at Rader for treatment.

Rader has 75 secure rooms in which juveniles could be secured (locked down) in the event of a riot or major disturbance. There have been occasions when major disturbances have occurred on multiple units at the same time. Under those extreme circumstances, the entire unit would be placed on “lock down” and each juvenile would be placed in their own room for their own and staff safety. Both juveniles and staff would be safe and staff and security would be able to deal with the crisis situation without interference from other combative juveniles. COJC and SWOJC, not being maximum secure facilities, do not have this capability…In the event riots or major disturbances simultaneously occurred on different units, juveniles and staff safety could be jeopardized and public safety compromised.

As recently as two months ago, a number of juveniles at COJC were causing disturbances and assaulting staff and other juveniles. Four of the most disruptive juveniles were sent to Rader. In the event the OJA Board chooses to close the Rader Center, one can only wonder what the plight of COJC staff will be when these same juveniles plus 15 to 30 others (whose behavior is far worse) will be sent right back to COJC in September.

In addition, OPEA asked that the Board take responsibility for the action by discussing and voting on the closure at a Board meeting. However, the Board has taken no vote on this important issue.

Director Christian has cited three reasons for closing the Rader Center: cuts in the FY 2012 budget, the DOJ consent decree, and legislative direction.

“As we said at the June Board meeting, the OJA budget cut was only $3 million, not enough to justify closing the only maximum secure facility,” said Zearley. “The DOJ consent decree does not direct OJA to close the Rader Center and no legislation has been passed to close Rader.”

According to news reports, Tecumseh police have been called out to COJC two times in the past week to quell riots, the same number as in the past 16 years.

“Obviously, OJA has created a volatile situation by closing Rader and moving more violent juveniles into COJC,” concluded Zearley. “It is their responsibility to address this situation immediately to protect the juveniles, employees and the citizens of Oklahoma.”