Oklahoma Department of Corrections
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC or ODOC) is an agency
of the state of Oklahoma
. DOC is responsible for the administration of the state prison system. It has its headquarters in Oklahoma City
, in the former Mabel Bassett Correctional Center
building.
The Department of Corrections is governed by the seven-member Board of Corrections. All members are appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma
, with the approval of the Oklahoma Senate
, to serve six year terms. Each of Oklahoma's five Congressional districts is represented by at least one member on the Board, with the remaining two members being appointed from the State at-large. No more than four members of the Board may be from any one political party. The Board is responsible for setting the policies of the Department, approve the annual budget request, and for appointing the Director of Corrections. The Director, who serves at the pleasure of the Board, is the chief executive of the Department. The current Director of Corrections is Justin Jones.
The Department of Corrections was established in 1967 during the term of Governor Henry Bellmon
.
at Lansing
, Kansas
. After a disputed report on the conditions in the Kansas Penitentiary, Oklahoma opened an institution in the former federal jail at McAlester
.
On January 10, 1967 Oklahoma created a new state Corrections Department, consisting of a state Board of Corrections, and state director of Corrections, and three divisions: a Division of Institutions, a Division of Probation and Parole, and a Division of Inspection.
In 1976, the first Training Academy was established in Oklahoma City
.
. Under current Governor of Oklahoma
Mary Fallin
, Michael C. Thompson is serving as the Secretary.
4,341 classified
367 unclassified
. These tests determine the physical and mental qualifications and all potential test-takers must satisfactorily complete a course of training in operations and procedures related to the rank desired.
In general, the following minimum requirements are needed to obtain the following ranks:
, the annual salaries for ODOC correctional employees are as follows:
The executive and administrative staff of the Department are unclassified employees of the State, and as such, their salaries are determined either by the Legislature or by the Director of the Department. As of Octobter, 2010, the following are the annual salaries of the senior staff of the Department:
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
of the state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. DOC is responsible for the administration of the state prison system. It has its headquarters in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, in the former Mabel Bassett Correctional Center
Mabel Bassett Correctional Center
Mabel Bassett Correctional Center is an Oklahoma Department of Corrections prison for women located in unincorporated Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, near McLoud. The current Bassett facility opened in 1998....
building.
The Department of Corrections is governed by the seven-member Board of Corrections. All members are appointed by the Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
, with the approval of the Oklahoma Senate
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
, to serve six year terms. Each of Oklahoma's five Congressional districts is represented by at least one member on the Board, with the remaining two members being appointed from the State at-large. No more than four members of the Board may be from any one political party. The Board is responsible for setting the policies of the Department, approve the annual budget request, and for appointing the Director of Corrections. The Director, who serves at the pleasure of the Board, is the chief executive of the Department. The current Director of Corrections is Justin Jones.
The Department of Corrections was established in 1967 during the term of Governor Henry Bellmon
Henry Bellmon
Henry Louis "Harry" Bellmon was an American Republican politician from Oklahoma. He was a member of the Oklahoma Legislature, the 18th and 23rd Governor of Oklahoma , and a two-term United States Senator.-Service in World War II:Bellmon was born in Tonkawa, Oklahoma and graduated from Billings...
.
History
Prior to 1908, Oklahoma was sent prisoners to the Kansas Penitentiaryat Lansing
Lansing, Kansas
Lansing is a city situated along the Missouri River in the eastern part of Leavenworth County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,265...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. After a disputed report on the conditions in the Kansas Penitentiary, Oklahoma opened an institution in the former federal jail at McAlester
McAlester, Oklahoma
McAlester is a city in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 17,783 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pittsburg County. It is currently the largest city in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, followed by Durant....
.
On January 10, 1967 Oklahoma created a new state Corrections Department, consisting of a state Board of Corrections, and state director of Corrections, and three divisions: a Division of Institutions, a Division of Probation and Parole, and a Division of Inspection.
In 1976, the first Training Academy was established in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
.
Facilities
As of 2010, the Department of Corrections is responsible for the management, maintenance and security of 39 correctional institutes across the State.Leadership
The Department of Corrections is under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and SecurityOklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security
The Oklahoma Secretary of Safety and Security is a member of the Oklahoma Governor's Cabinet. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Oklahoma Senate, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary serves as the chief advisor to the Governor on public safety and...
. Under current Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin
Mary Fallin is the 27th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. She was a U.S. Representative for from 2007 until 2011....
, Michael C. Thompson is serving as the Secretary.
| Office | Incumbent | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet Secretary | Mike Thompson | 2011 |
| Director | Justin Jones | ? |
Internal Structure
- Board of Corrections
- Director
- Associate Director - Field Services
- Female Offender Operations Division
- Institutions Division
- Administrative Services Division
- Treatment and Rehabilitation Services Division
- Community Corrections Division
- Community Sentencing and Offender Information Services Division
- Legal Affairs Division
- Internal Affairs Unit
- Internal Auditing Unit
- Associate Director - Field Services
- Director
Divisions
The Department of Corrections is governed by the seven-member Board of Corrections, who appoints the Director of Corrections. As the head of the Department of Corrections, the Director supervises, directs, and controls the Department. The Director is assisted in managing the Department by an Associate Director, six Deputy Directors and a General Counsel (with the rank of Deputy Director). The Department is organizated into seven Divisions, each headed by a Deputy Director. Each Division is subdivided into Units, with each headed by an Administrator.- Administrative Services Division - responsible for all financial, budgeting, personnel, purchasing, information technology and administrative management needs of the Department
- Treatment and Rehabiliation Services Division - responsible for overseeing offender educational programs and offender medical and mental health services
- Institutional Services Division - responsible for the operations of fifteen prisons in the State, the management of offender classification and information, manages all constracts for private prisons and county jails in support of the Department, and supervises all prison industries programs
- Female Offender Operations Division - responsible for overseeing all female correctional facilities in the State
- Community Corrections Division - responsible for the operation of eight community correction center, fifteen inmate work center and state-wide probation and parole operations
- Community Sentencing and Offender Information Services Division - responsible for the state-wide Community Service Sentencing Program and thirty-six state-wide planning councils
Rank Structure
| Title | Insignia | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Director of the Department |  |
Appointed by the Board of Corrections to serve as the overall head of the Department |
| Associate Director Field Operations |
 |
Appointed by the Director to oversee all correctional services in the Department and second-in-command for the Department |
| Deputy Director Institutions Division |
 |
Oversees all correctional institutions in the State |
| Warden |  |
Responsible for all operations of an institution |
| Deputy Warden |  |
Second-in-command of an institution |
| Chief of Security |  |
Responsible for overseeing all security opertions of an institution |
| Captain Police captain - France :France uses the rank of capitaine for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to lieutenant and junior to commandant.... |
 |
Responsible for overseeing all operations of an assigned shift within a medium or maximum security facility or serving as an assistant to a superior officer in a large institution |
| Lieutenant |  |
First managerial rank, responsible for overseeing all operations on an assigned shift or unit within a minimum security facility or supervising specialized unit in a medium to maximum security facility |
| Sergeant |  |
First supervisory rank, responsible for serving as a team leader or a lead officer or independently performing a specialized function requiring a high degree of judgment |
| Corporal |  |
Responsible for assisting lower ranked Officer in the performance of their duties |
| Corrections Officer |  |
Rank attained upon successful completion of the training academy, responsible for security and custody of inmates |
| Corrections Officer Cadet | A CSO I is a new recruit, and is the rank held by all personnel while assigned as a student at the training academy. |
Staffing
The Department of Corrections, with an annual budget of just under $500 million, is one of the largest employers of the State. For fiscal year 2011, the Department is authorized 4,598 employees.| Division | Number of Employees |
|---|---|
| Probation and Parole Services | 389 |
| Community Corrections | 338 |
| Prison Industries | 133 |
| Offender Programs | 184 |
| Community Sentencing Services | 29 |
| Contracting Services | 11 |
| Central Office Administration | 283 |
| Regional Office Administration | 89 |
| Health Service | 343 |
| Institutional Staff | 2,799 |
| Total | 4,598 |
4,341 classified
367 unclassified
Requirements
As provided by Oklahoma state law, in order to be employed as a correctional officer for the Department of Corrections, an individual must meet the following requirements:- At least 20 years old
- Have completed one of the following educational components:
- at least 30 semester hours from a college or university; or
- a high school diploma and a certification by the Oklahoma Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training
- Be a person of "good moral character"
- Completion of a correctional officer training program, as approved by the State Board of Corrections
- Completion of minimum testing or professional evaluation conducted by the Oklahoma Office of Personnel ManagementOklahoma Office of Personnel ManagementThe Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management is an agency of the state of Oklahoma that manages the civil service of the state government. OPM provides comprehensive human resource services to all state agencies and employees , as well as information for individuals interested in state service...
- Completion, on an annual basis, of physical testing as required for the position, as approved by the State Board of Corrections
Promotions
All promotions from Corrections Officer into the supervisory ranks are based on tests administered by the Director of the Department, in consultation with the Administrator of the Oklahoma Office of Personnel ManagementOklahoma Office of Personnel Management
The Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management is an agency of the state of Oklahoma that manages the civil service of the state government. OPM provides comprehensive human resource services to all state agencies and employees , as well as information for individuals interested in state service...
. These tests determine the physical and mental qualifications and all potential test-takers must satisfactorily complete a course of training in operations and procedures related to the rank desired.
In general, the following minimum requirements are needed to obtain the following ranks:
- Corporal - eighteen months of experience in correctional or security work
- Sergeant - two years of experience in correctional or security work
- Lieutenant - three years of experience in correctional or security work
- Captain - four years of experience in correctional or security work with one year of supervisory experience
- Chief of Security -
- Community Correctional Facility - four years of experience in correctional or security work with one year of supervisory experience or two years of college, two years of correctional experience with one year of supervisory experience
- Minimum Security Facility - five years of experience in correctional or security work with one year of supervisory experience or two years of college, three years of correctional experience with one year of supervisory experience
- Medium or Maximum Security Facility - five years of experience in correctional or security work with one year of supervisory experience or two years of college, three years of correctional experience with two years of supervisory experience
Pay Structure
According to the Oklahoma Office of Personnel ManagementOklahoma Office of Personnel Management
The Oklahoma Office of Personnel Management is an agency of the state of Oklahoma that manages the civil service of the state government. OPM provides comprehensive human resource services to all state agencies and employees , as well as information for individuals interested in state service...
, the annual salaries for ODOC correctional employees are as follows:
| Title | Minimum Salary | Mid-point Salary | Maximum Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief - Medium or Maximum Security | $41,906 | $55,874 | $69,843 |
| Chief - Minimum Security | $37,752 | $50,336 | $62,920 |
| Chief - Community Corrections | $34,012 | $45,349 | $56,686 |
| Captain | $34,012 | $45,349 | $56,686 |
| Lieutenant | $30,920 | $41,227 | $51,534 |
| Sergeant | $25,730 | $34,307 | $42,884 |
| Corporal | $23,234 | $30,979 | $38,724 |
| Correctional Officer | $21,122 | $28,163 | $35,204 |
| Officer Cadet | $19,202 | $25,602 | $32,003 |
The executive and administrative staff of the Department are unclassified employees of the State, and as such, their salaries are determined either by the Legislature or by the Director of the Department. As of Octobter, 2010, the following are the annual salaries of the senior staff of the Department:
| Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Director, Department of Corrections | $132,309.00 |
| Associate Director, Field Services | $116,256.60 |
| Deputy Director, Institutions Division | $103,736.76 |
| Deputy Director, Treatment and Rehabiliation Services Division | $99,746.88 |
| Deputy Director, Community Corrections Division | $99,746.88 |
| Deputy Director, Female Offenders Division | $95,000.00 |
| General Counsel, Department of Corrections | $93,999.96 |
| Deputy Director, Community Sentencing Services Division | $91,350.00 |
| Deputy Director, Administrative Services Division | $66,045.00 |
Prohibitions
Oklahoma state and United States federal law both place limitations on who can be employed as a correctional officer with the Department. They include any of the following:- No person who is a registered sex offender
- No person who has been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, unless they have received a full pardonPardonClemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
for such crime - No person who has been convicted of any form of felony, unless they have received a full pardonPardonClemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
for such felony - No person who has been convicted of any form of domestic violence, unless they have received a full pardonPardonClemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
for such crime - No person who has been dishonorably discharged from any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States
Budget
The Department of Corrections has annual budget of over $500 million. That budget is derived primarily from yearly appropriations, Departmental fees and funds generated by the Prison Industries activities.| Division | Funding (in millions) |
|---|---|
| Probation and Parole Services | $29 |
| Community Corrections | $28.4 |
| Prison Industries | $35.8 |
| Offender Programs | $19 |
| Community Sentencing Services | $7.8 |
| Contracting Services | $116.9 |
| Central Office Administration | $43.8 |
| Regional Office Administration | $14 |
| Health Service | $61 |
| Institutional Staff | $202 |
| Total | $556.7 |