Alva Review-Courier -

HELENA – Thursday, at the monthly Oklahoma Board of Corrections meeting, board members approved a $1.648 billion budget request and a list of legislative priorities for the upcoming legislative session that begins in February 2017.

The agency’s 14-point, 23-page budget request addresses salary increases for staff, new money to offset overtime costs that will accrue from the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, facility critical infrastructure needs and money to build two 2,000-bed medium security prisons, among other items.

Corrections Director Joe M. Allbaugh said the aggressive request will put the agency in line to fix critical existing problems and will invest in the long-term future of the department.

“Since coming to the department 10 months ago, I have found the agency has been largely ignored for more than 30 years,” Allbaugh said. “It is time for the Oklahoma taxpayers to fully understand the picture of our state’s correctional department, get more efficiency out of the system and bring the department into this century.

“We have employees who haven’t seen any new money in more than 10 years, some even qualifying for food stamps, crumbling infrastructure and an inmate capacity in excess of 110 percent. We need change immediately before something bad happens.”

The budget request is a $1.165 billion increase from the agency's FY '17 request, something Corrections Board Chairman Michael Roach says is a starting point for the agency.

“Working in law enforcement throughout my career, I have seen what agencies need to succeed and what makes them fail,” Roach said. “This department, which plays a major role in public safety, has been severely underfunded and is in dire need of new money to fix critical issues.

“It's time to fund this agency appropriately.”

DOC 2017 Legislative Agenda

The corrections board also approved a legislative agenda that includes nine items to be presented to the Oklahoma Legislature in February.

Director Allbaugh said the list of priority items work to save the agency money and cleans up unnecessary language currently in state statute.

“I appreciate the hard work of the legislative subcommittee, which came up with a list of priorities that cuts waste and improves the overall role we play in public safety,” Allbaugh said. “I look forward to working with the members of the legislature to see these items through.”

Gene Haynes, chairman of the board's legislative subcommittee said the initiatives will allow for better continuity and aligns the department with its goals for efficiency.

“These proposed items will allow the department to carry out its mission more effectively, while streamlining services,” Haynes said. “I thank my fellow subcommittee members for their work and the board for their approval.”

• Item one: imposes a fee on inmate applications to transfer out-of-state to offset the Oklahoma DOC's cost to retake the inmate into custody at $950 per case.

• Item two: addresses the pre-sentencing investigation requirement in statute and the DOC's role along with collecting fees.

• Item three: decommissions the fire station at William S. Key Correctional Center at Ft. Supply. The fire station is rarely used and the community is equipped to handle fire emergencies.

• Item four: request a 5 percent pay raise for all DOC employees.

• Item five: modifies the definition of rape in statute as it relates to inmates in DOC custody and includes subcontractors of DOC contractors. The proposed language closes a loophole in current statute.

• Item six: addresses housing of youthful inmates assigned to DOC custody.

• Item seven: reserve a title 74 bill to create a statewide purchasing contract for facility appliances and equipment that isn't currently covered.

• Item eight: allows the DOC to charge an inmate a fee when criminal charges are filed against them while in custody unless the charges are dismissed or the inmate is acquitted.

• Item nine: cleans up language regarding the management of the Oklahoma Sex Offender Registry.