2023 Oklahoma Statutes › Title 57. Prisons and Reformatories › §57-563.2. Private prison facilities for inmates.

A. Except as provided for in subsection B of this section, a private prison contractor may contract with the federal government or another state to provide for housing, care and control of inmates, as provided in this section, who are in the custody of the United States or another state, except for inmates who have histories of escape from medium or maximum security level correctional facilities for adults, who have a felony conviction for rioting, who are sentenced to terms of incarceration for conviction of a sex-related offense, or who are incarcerated with a sentence of death, within a facility owned or operated by the private prison contractor. Private prison contractors shall not provide for the housing, care and control of detainees designated as enemy combatants by the federal government, or who are under federal, state or local investigation, charge, or conviction for crimes of international terrorism or conspiracy to commit international terrorism or acts of hostile aggression against the United States or allies of the United States. Such private prison contractor may perform other functions related to such responsibilities.
B. A private prison contractor operating a facility on January 1, 2004, at twenty-five percent (25%) or less capacity may contract with the federal government or another state to provide for housing, care and control of inmates provided the facility would be allowed to house the same type of inmates if contracting with this state.
C. Any offense which would be a crime if committed within a state correctional institution of this state shall be a crime if committed in a facility owned or operated by a private prison contractor.
D. 1. A private prison contractor shall not employ any personnel convicted of a felony if the person has been incarcerated in the private prison facility for which an application for employment is being considered; provided, a private prison contractor may employ personnel convicted of drug-related felonies who have been rehabilitated for programs for drug or other substance abuse rehabilitation for inmates of the facility.
2. Any personnel of a facility owned or operated by a private prison contractor, except any person convicted of a felony offense, shall be authorized to carry and use firearms while in the performance of their official duties only in the manner provided in this subsection and only after completing training approved by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training. The Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training may charge a reasonable fee for its cost of evaluating firearms training for private prison personnel. Private prison personnel shall only be authorized to use firearms for the following purposes:
a.
to prevent escape from the facility or from custody while being transported to or from the facility. As used in this paragraph, "to prevent escape from the facility" means to prevent an incarcerated individual from crossing the secure perimeter of the facility, or
b.
to prevent an act which would cause death or serious bodily injury to any person.
3. The Department of Corrections is authorized to provide training to personnel of the private prison contractor, pursuant to contract. The Department of Corrections shall charge a reasonable fee for the training, not to exceed the cost of such training. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed to confer peace officer status upon any employee of the private prison contractor or to authorize the use of firearms, except as provided in this subsection.
4. All private prisons operating in this state shall prepare a written emergency plan and mutual aid agreement between the private prison facility and state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Corrections and the Department of Public Safety.
5. If an inmate escapes from the facility, or in the event of any riot or other serious disturbance, personnel from the facility immediately shall inform the Department of Corrections, the Department of Public Safety, the county sheriff and, if the facility is located within the boundaries of a municipality, the police department of the municipality.
6. The Department of Corrections shall designate facilities operated by the Department to provide support in the event of a riot, escape or other serious emergency. Personnel from the facility shall inform the Department of Corrections, pursuant to Department policy, if there is any incident. The Department of Corrections is directed to respond on behalf of public safety of this state. The private prison contractor shall provide the Department of Corrections access to the facility and secure facility space to establish a command post, including provisions for telephone and fax access. Any emergency response provided by any state or local law enforcement agency shall be at the sole expense of the private prison contractor/operator. Each responding agency shall submit a written invoice detailing costs incurred which shall be paid within thirty (30) days of receipt by the private prison contractor/operator.
E. If an inmate is to be released or discharged from incarceration, is released or discharged by any court order, is to be placed on probation, is paroled, or if the federal government or sending state requests transfer or the return of the inmate, the private prison contractor immediately shall transfer or return the inmate to the sending state which has legal authority over the sentence or, in the case of federal inmates, to the closest federal prison or to the federal authority of the state in which federal custody over the inmate originated.
F. A private prison contractor housing federal inmates from jurisdictions other than Oklahoma, or inmates sentenced pursuant to the legal authority of another state, shall not allow any such inmate to leave the premises of the facility, except to comply with an order to appear in a court of competent jurisdiction, to receive medical care not available at the facility, to work as provided in subsection G of this section, or to return or be transferred to another state as provided by the provisions of subsection E of this section.
G. A private prison contractor may allow minimum security inmate labor to be used in public works projects provided all of the following conditions are satisfied:
1. The public works project must be in and for the county where the private prison is located or a county adjacent to the county where the private prison is located, or in and for a municipality in the county where the private prison is located or an adjacent county;
2. The private prison contractor has developed security procedures which will ensure the safety of the public and the Department of Corrections has approved such procedures;
3. The public works project has been authorized by the Department of Corrections and the county or municipal authorities where the public works project is located;
4. The private prison contractor has procured and has in force and effect a policy of liability insurance which will provide coverage in an amount determined by the Department of Corrections for any loss resulting from the acts or omissions of inmates participating in such project or employees of the private prison contractor and for any injuries occurring to the inmates or employees; and
5. The use of federal inmates for public works projects will be in strict compliance with the provisions of Section 4002 of Title 18 of the United States Code and any other applicable provisions of federal law.
H. A private prison contractor housing federal inmates or inmates of another state shall be responsible for the reimbursement of all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by this state or a political subdivision of this state for legal actions brought in this state by or on behalf of any federal inmate or inmate of another state while incarcerated in the facility, including court costs, sheriff mileage fees, witness fees, district attorney expenses, expenses of the office of Attorney General, indigent or public defender fees and costs, judicial expenses, court reporter expenses and any other costs, fees, or expenses associated with the proceedings or actions.
I. A private prison contractor shall not house inmates from this state with federal inmates or inmates from another state, unless segregated or otherwise housed in such a manner as to satisfy the Director of the Department of Corrections.
J. The State of Oklahoma shall not assume jurisdiction or custody of any federal inmate or inmate from another state housed in a facility owned or operated by a private prison contractor. Such inmates from another state shall at all times be subject to the jurisdiction of that state and federal inmates shall at all times be subject to federal jurisdiction. This state shall not be liable for loss resulting from the acts of such inmates nor shall this state be liable for any injuries to the inmates.
K. Prior to contracting for the housing of any federal inmate or inmate from another state, the private prison contractor shall give the Department of Corrections first right to contract for placement of inmates under the custody of the Department of Corrections in the available capacity of the private prison facility.
L. Prior to housing maximum security inmates in the custody of the United States or another state, the private prison contractor shall receive authorization from the Department of Corrections to house maximum security inmates at the facility. Authorization granted by the Department of Corrections shall be based on facility design and physical plant security requirements consistent with standards established by the American Correctional Association or the physical plant security requirements of the Department at Department-operated maximum security facilities. Upon request by a private prison contractor for all or a part of a facility to be granted authorization to house maximum security inmates, the Department shall complete an assessment within thirty (30) days. The assessment shall either result in authorization being granted to the private prison contractor or shall provide detailed requirements that shall be met by the facility in order for authorization to be granted.
M. At least ten (10) business days prior to the transfer of inmates who are in the custody of the United States or another state to a private prison facility operating in the State of Oklahoma, the private prison contractor shall provide the Department of Corrections with the following information:
1. The number of inmates to be transferred;
2. The name of each inmate to be transferred;
3. The date of transfer of the inmate;
4. The security level of each inmate to be transferred, as determined by the sentencing state;
5. The facility to which the inmate shall be transferred; and
6. The criminal history and institutional behavioral record for each inmate.
The information provided pursuant to this subsection shall not be public record until the transfer of the inmate is complete. The records shall thereafter be made public only to the extent required by state law.
N. The Department of Corrections shall have thirty (30) days after receipt of the information required in accordance with subsection M of this section to determine whether an inmate transferred to a private prison facility is compliant with the conditions of subsection A or B of this section. If the Department determines that an inmate housed at a private prison facility is not compliant with the conditions provided for in subsection A or B of this section, the Department shall notify the private prison contractor. Notification by the Department shall include the name of the inmate and reason why the inmate does not qualify to be housed at the facility to which the inmate has been transferred or housed within the State of Oklahoma. The private prison contractor shall either provide supplemental information verifying compliance with subsection A or B of this section, or shall transfer the inmate out of the State of Oklahoma within thirty (30) days of receiving said notification from the Department. Failure of the Department to review the inmate information provided pursuant to subsection M of this section shall not prevent the transfer of inmates into the State of Oklahoma for housing at a private prison facility.
O. The provisions of subsection A, paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 of subsection D, paragraphs 2, 3, 5 and 6 of subsection M and subsection N of this section shall not apply to a private prison contractor that has a direct contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons of the United States Department of Justice for a facility that houses federal inmates and is monitored on-site by federal agency staff.
Added by Laws 1991, c. 307, § 2, emerg. eff. June 4, 1991. Amended by Laws 1992, c. 405, § 5, eff. July 1, 1992; Laws 1993, c. 203, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Laws 1996, c. 46, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1996; Laws 1996, c. 169, § 2, eff. July 1, 1996; Laws 1998, c. 149, § 1, eff. July 1, 1998; Laws 1999, c. 394, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 1999; Laws 2000, c. 78, § 1, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2002, c. 103, § 1, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2004, c. 552, § 1, emerg. eff. June 9, 2004; Laws 2005, c. 476, § 1, eff. July 1, 2005; Laws 2009, c. 455, § 4, emerg. eff. June 2, 2009; Laws 2015, c. 268, § 1, emerg. eff. May 6, 2015.