Rabon Calls For New Correctional Facility In Atoka

Following the release of an independent performance audit of the Department of Corrections, Senator Jeff Rabon on Tuesday again called for the construction of a new, 2,500 inmate correctional facility to be located on 5,200 acres currently occupied by the Howard McCleod Correctional Center in Atoka.

Rabon said the audit confirmed that the Legislature has failed to meet the funding needs of the Department of Corrections and that action must be taken to ease overcrowding and update a crumbling corrections infrastructure. The construction of the facility on 5,200 acres of land already owned by the state, Rabon said, is a practical alternative that eliminates any red tape associated with purchasing additional land.

“The audit confirmed what we already knew, which is that we’ve reached a breaking point where we must address this issue responsibly with a long-term solution to our corrections funding problem,” said Rabon, D-Hugo. “It’s time for the Legislature to stop paying private prisons for bed space and to construct a new facility that will accommodate the number of inmates entering the system. This is a critical public safety concern, and we can no longer afford to watch as our corrections system crumbles due to an unwillingness to invest in improvements.”

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