For Immediate Release --- February 20th, 2024 

For More Information Contact:

Commissioner Carrie Blumert (405) 713-1501

Commissioner Blumert Voices Outrage about NEOKC & Del City Sites Remaining on Agenda.

Blumert echoes previous statement that she will never vote for these sites and will continue to try to remove them from consideration.

Oklahoma County- I am disappointed and angry that Commissioner Maughan and Commissioner Davidson continue to put sites up for consideration in Northeast OKC and Del City. We’ve had numerous meetings and heard from hundreds of citizens that they don’t want the jail near their schools, their neighborhoods, and in areas that have history of neglect at the hands of local government.

Local government cannot continue to put the things no one wants in black and brown neighborhoods. We have to consider the history of NEOKC and its long-standing fight for a safe, thriving community, oftentimes going up against their own government to do so. It is my firm belief that our new jail should not be a part of that history. These communities deserve so much better than our new jail.

I have been against these sites from the very beginning and will continue to do everything in my power to remove them from consideration. I will never vote yes on a site in NEOKC or Del City. It is unfair to black and brown communities, who are already disproportionately affected by the criminal justice system, to bear the burden of our new jail location.

The fact that my fellow Commissioners continue to even put these sites up for consideration is incredibly frustrating and exhausting for residents who continually have to fight for themselves.

I will always be an advocate for NEOKC & Del City. Ensuring that our new jail location is as close to existing social services as possible and is built to the highest standards for detainees, while protecting our community is my top priority.

The next County Commissioner meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday, February 21st, at 9am at the Oklahoma County Building 320 Robert S. Kerr, OKC, in room 204, and will be live streamed on our Oklahoma County YouTube page. I encourage you to attend and voice your concerns to my fellow Commissioners.