State legislators are trying to change a law that requires Oklahoma’s sheriffs to bring inmates on their way to prison to the Department of Corrections.
"That actually breaks law, breaks the constitution. The sheriffs departments are then using ad valorem dollars on state business," said Rep. Zack Taylor.
Current state law says sheriffs must take state prisoners sentenced in their counties to the Department of Corrections assessment center in Lexington or wherever the DOC designates. Lexington is about an hour's drive for Seminole County Sheriff Shannon Smith.
"That takes people away from our everyday jobs of protecting and serving to do a job that we don’t feel is ours," Smith said.
House Bill 1374 would make DOC responsible for picking up their inmates from county jails instead, a change the agency says would cost about $4.7 million a year.
"I personally believe that may be a little bit inflated, but we can draw the conclusion that if it’s going to cost DOC that much, then it must be costing our sheriffs about that much," Taylor said.
The House Public Safety Committee voted 11–0 in favor of HB1374 last week.
