OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Oklahoma County Jail opened its doors to state health inspectors earlier this month, but only after a court order.
Inspectors were previously denied access twice, prompting a lawsuit between the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority.
"I think is dastardly what's going on and that this agency would try to, you know, trick people or try to hide the truth. Who does that? Right? This is our government, these are taxpayer dollars and we can't employ people who are truthful and honest," said Connie Johnson, advocacy works.
In new court documents, the state says the most recent visit "highlights the need for unannounced inspections."
They claim that the jail is understaffed and because of that there can be issues with inmate site checks not being done in a timely manner.
The state argues that "site checks help prevent inmate deaths as staff find inmates in time to thwart suicide attempts."
The state also claims during the inspection, multiple inmates said they were moved out of overcrowded cells right before the inspectors gained access to the housing unit.
They also say the inspection, which should have taken two days, stretched to four days because of delays by jail staff, claiming "the inspectors were required to wait an hour at times to access some areas of the facility."
Lastly, the state argues requested records were not readily available, including material from the most recent death investigation.
Since June, four inmates have died.
"One of my friends died in there, I know a couple of family members of people who died in there. That makes me feel sad, hurt, regretful," said Johnson.
Advocates like Johnson say these deaths underscore the need for unannounced inspections to hold the jail accountable.
News 4 reached out to the Oklahoma County Jail, but they say they do not comment on pending legal matters.
The State Department of Health also declined to comment, but says the inspection report is being finalized.
Once the report is released, News 4 will make sure to bring you the full findings.
