Cleveland County officials have hired a consultant to investigate detainee deaths at the county jail that will also examine the policies of health care provider Turn Key Health.
The Board of County Commissioners approved a contract with a Missouri-based consulting firm on Aug. 9 to examine the causes of detainee deaths and develop a plan to improve health and safety procedures at the jail. The firm, SIMCO Correctional Consulting, LLC, specializes in examining jail and prison operations and safety protocols. The county is paying the consultant a $3,000 retainer, plus $350 an hour to conduct the investigation, according to SIMCO’s contract.
“Commissioners are saddened by the loss of life at the detention center and, while recognizing that inmate populations tend to be higher-risk than the average population, they find any preventable loss of life unacceptable,” the commissioners said in a press release announcing the investigation.
The Frontier and The Marshall Project published an investigation in July on the Cleveland County jail’s medical provider Turn Key Health that highlighted the death of Norman business owner Shannon Hanchett at the facility in December 2022.
The consulting firm will examine the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office as well as Turn Key’s service and policies, Rod Cleveland, district 1 commissioner, told The Frontier in a text message. He later declined an interview request, because of ongoing litigation against the county over deaths at the jail.
Along with lawsuits, an insurance company notified Cleveland County in March that it would not renew the county’s policy. A letter from the insurer did not include a reason, but Rod Cleveland told The Frontier in April that he believed deaths at the jail were partially to blame for the county losing its coverage.
A lawyer for Turn Key said in a statement to The Frontier that the contractor welcomes the investigation.
“In every facility Turn Key serves, Turn Key is part of a team that provides care and resources for the population, and Turn Key always embraces outside reviews that can identify opportunities to improve the team’s service,” said Austin Young, general counsel for Turn Key.
At least four Cleveland County detainees have died this year. Nicole Deann McComb, 49, was the most recent death on Aug. 29. McComb died at a local hospital after a suicide attempt at the jail, according to the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office.
Turn Key is scheduled to leave Oklahoma County Detention Center on Oct. 9 after seeking an early end to its contract. The medical provider said it would leave Oklahoma County due to chronic detention center understaffing that made it difficult for the company to provide care to detainees. Turn Key sent Oklahoma County a letter announcing its departure one day after jail officials said they were unhappy with Turn Key’s service and would try to find a new medical provider.
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