The GEO Group submits discontinuation letter, ODOC responds

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — On Thursday, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) responded to The GEO Group following a submission letter of discontinuation to the department and the Oklahoma Senate.

ODOC states they and the GEO Group, which operates the Lawton Correctional Facility, have been engaged in ongoing contract negotiations and are unclear as to why the GEO Group felt the need to elevate the talks to state level.

The department says they are thankful for Governor Kevin Stitt who recently vetoed a legislation which would have required the department to pay an additional $3 million per year to The GEO Group which they say is excessive, "considering the subpar results."

According to the Department of Corrections, the GEO Group has received a $6.8 million increase towards funding but has not improved and lack the care that is expected by ODOC, calling Lawton Correctional Facility "the most violent prison in Oklahoma."

It is our mission to protect the public and the inmate. Therefore, we have cultivated several options to secure a safer location to house our incarcerated population, and we are meeting with the Board of Corrections next week to finalize the plans. We look forward to these new opportunities to care for our inmates and change their lives for the better. Further details will be shared with the public as they become available.

Oklahoma Department of Corrections

News 4 received the following statement from the GEO Group regarding the discontinuation letter:

We are proud of our long-standing public-private partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, which dates to 1998. Over the last 26 years, we have made significant capital investments to provide needed correctional bed space to help reduce Oklahoma prison overcrowding. We have implemented a world class rehabilitation program through our GEO Continuum of Care to help lower recidivism in the State of Oklahoma. Throughout this time, the health and safety of all those in our care and of our employees has always been our number one priority.

In recent years, wage inflation and staffing shortages, following the COVID pandemic, have negatively impacted staff recruitment and retention at all state correctional facilities. Unfortunately, the recent veto of funding that was approved by the Oklahoma State Legislature will only exacerbate our significant challenges. Upon extensive consideration of the current funding levels and resources relative to the present service requirements, we have determined that we are no longer willing to manage the 2,600-bed Lawton Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility without changes to financial and operational terms. We have proposed a new three-month transition agreement starting July 1, 2024, allowing for an orderly relocation of inmates if new funding and contract terms cannot be mutually agreed upon.

GEO Group Spokesperson