By Cary Aspinwall
Tulsa World
TULSA, Okla. — The Oklahoma Department of Corrections will empty the inmates out of Avalon Correctional Services’ Tulsa halfway house for men, due to investigations revealing “serious infractions” affecting inmate safety.
In a letter sent Tuesday to Avalon, corrections officials told the private prison halfway house operator that their inmate count would be frozen and that “the violations are so serious that the department will begin depopulating Avalon immediately.”
“The Department has lost confidence in the administration of the Tulsa facility,” Deputy Director Reginald Hines wrote.
Under a contract with DOC, Avalon operates halfway houses for offenders nearing the end of their prison sentences, including the 390-bed men’s facility downtown. The Tulsa men’s facility had more than 200 inmates earlier this week, according to DOC.
Avalon Chief Operating Officer Brian Costello e-mailed the World a statement that called the closure a “politically motivated retaliation.”
“This action is totally unprecedented and unwarranted,” the response stated.
The decision is based on “preliminary information” from an investigation of an incident occurring months ago, Avalon officials contend. Avalon has not had the opportunity to respond to the investigation or correct any breaches as specified by its contract, according to the statement.
“We do not deny that there have been isolated incidents at our Tulsa facility that required corrective action. Incidents occur daily at every correctional facility, public or private,” Avalon’s response stated.
The Department of Corrections’ letter sent to Avalon states that an investigation revealed a breach severe enough to result in cancellation of its contract for the Tulsa men’s facility. The facility will be emptied within 10 days, the letter states.
Jerry Massie, spokesman for the department, confirmed that an inmate brawl investigation was one of the factors in shutting down Avalon Tulsa.
Attorney Louis Bullock said he’s been investigating the circumstances surrounding the inmate fights at Avalon Tulsa and has found repeated civil rights concerns.
“It’s very clear that fighting at that facility was commonplace,” Bullock said. “In some cases, it was not only supported or allowed, but actually ordered by the administration.”
Inmates were allowed to fight to settle debts or as punishment for misconducts, he said.
“Some of it was just done for pure entertainment of the staff and other inmates,” Bullock said. “You just can’t operate a facility like that.”
The letter also demands that agency field files be preserved and “surrendered” to DOC staff. The department also placed a limit on the number of inmates that could be transferred to Carver in Oklahoma City.
In November, DOC officials confirmed they were investigating reports that staff at the Tulsa Avalon facility stood by and watched as offenders fought and another inmate recorded the brawl on a cellphone, which are prohibited inside state correctional facilities.
The department is attempting to relocate Avalon Tulsa’s inmates without negatively impacting jobs or other programs they are involved in, but with only a handful of other men’s halfway house beds in the Tulsa area, “there may not be much we can do about that,” Massie said.