Geo, Oklahoma reached one-year contract for Lawton facility (last week)

Geo Group and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections have worked together on a one-year contract to continue operating the Lawton Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility, the agency announced last Wednesday. An agreement was reached on the terms of a new one-year contract, effective July 1, 2024. “This does not mean the facility will return to the status quo,” explained ODOC Director Steven Harpe. “We are putting more procedures in place to ensure safety for our incarcerated population.” As part of the agreement, ODOC will reduce the number of inmates housed at LCRF. With the population reduction, GEO “has pledged to actively work to reduce violence, provide more access to programs, and grant more out-of-cell time for the inmates,” the agency said in last week’s statement. The facility currently houses 2,616 inmates, including the state’s only protective custody unit. The Board of Correction approval allows the contract to move forward in the process to be approved by the Attorney General’s office and executed by ODOC.