By C1 Staff
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Public Prison System is lacking hundreds of correctional officers needed to staff prisons and guard inmates.
KOCO reports that one officer reported a ratio of one officer to about 200 inmates, creating unsafe working conditions for prison staff.
The officers who are employed with the Oklahoma penal system work 12-hour shifts, six days a week, and watch over some of the most violent offenders in the state.
The department has been asking lawmakers for money for more than five in order to correct staffing levels inside its prisons.
It’s believed that the department may finally receive its requested funds by the end of this session, but it’s unclear if it will be enough.