Credit Oklahoma Department of Corrections
Public safety and corrections officials answered questions Tuesday from Oklahoma lawmakers on the planned closing of William S. Key Correctional Center in Fort Supply.
The plan was hastily announced two weeks ago after the Woodward News learned of it. According to the Department of Corrections, there are currently 414 inmates at the prison, not even 40% of its capacity.
"And it's a 19th Century facility in need of more than $30 million in repairs with annual costs upwards of $15 million. There were also more than 700 available minimum-security beds across rest of our system. In short, the beds at William S. Key were no longer needed," Secretary of Public Safety Tricia Everest told lawmakers.