The Norman Transcript

Editorials

Discussion

November 8, 2012

County closer to fix for jail holding cells

The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — The problem with day-holding cells for prisoners awaiting court hearings in Cleveland County may be closer to a solution.

County commissioners this week approved an architectural plan to convert some of the courthouse’s third-floor space into holding cells. Ironically, part of the area to be converted was part of the original county jail, used before the “new” jail was opened in the mid 1980s.

The problem came with the opening of the county’s detention center on Franklin Road, east of U.S. Highway 77. Prisoners need to be available for court hearings and need to be held in a secure space. They used to be just a few feet away from courtrooms.

The county was initially placing prisoners in a judge’s conference room. The fire marshal shut down a plan to convert some basement space into a holding cell. Currently, they are being held in the old jail on the west side of the county office building.

The new holding cells will be paid for out of the county’s jail sales tax, which is generating more than $500,000 a month. When the space is converted, we look for commissioners to move forward on tearing down the old jail.

For local news and more, subscribe to The Norman Transcript Smart Edition, or our print edition.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Editorials
  • Degrees of progress

    Oklahoma higher education institutions have been challenged to increase the number of students who graduate. The 1,700 graduate increase goal was soon passed and officials reported about 3,000 more degrees awarded last year over the ...

    June 19, 2013

  • Make shelter plans before the storms

    The debate over public storm shelters reminds us that at one time in Norman, residents actually took shelter inside the cavernous Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. It was believed to be one of the safest structures in the city. Scientists now ...

    June 19, 2013

  • A short drought reprieve

    Oklahoma’s current respite from the drought may be short-lived. We’ve yet to reach 100-degree days where water use hits the peak and Norman turns the valve to buy water from Oklahoma City....

    June 18, 2013

  • Summertime warnings

    State and local health departments are sending out summer activity warnings. In recent weeks, we’ve received rabies, mosquito and teen driver warnings....

    June 18, 2013

  • Norman by the numbers

    Quick. What’s Norman’s current population? As of this week, city officials set the mark at 114,450. It seems like only months ago, we were passing 100,000 residents, including University of Oklahoma students....

    June 14, 2013

  • Court’s ruling ensures state has water access

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday, denying Texas access to Oklahoma water flowing within our state will help ensure the state’s water supply for generations to come....

    June 14, 2013

  • Live, die by sales tax

    Norman’s on-again, off-again love affair with the municipal sales tax has taken a hiatus. The numbers are up only slightly and less than what was projected in the city’s fiscal budget....

    June 13, 2013

  • A needed extension

    Gov. Mary Fallin took another walking tour of damaged Moore neighborhoods Wednesday. It comes as the governor requested and was approved for an extension of the federal major disaster declaration....

    June 13, 2013

  • Heat arrived suddenly

    The heat, which had stayed away from Oklahoma for most of May, has caught us by surprise this week....

    June 12, 2013

  • Meth addicts getting notice about law

    Oklahoma was one of the leaders in limiting sales of over-the-counter medicine containing pseudoephedrine. Meth cooks learned long ago that they could manufacture methamphetamine with cold pills and a few other ingredients....

    June 12, 2013