LAWTON – The Comanche County Facilities Authority, which oversees the Comanche County Detention Center, will receive $675,679.09 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to cover the cost of housing inmates in other counties.
Without comment, the Board of Comanche County Commissioners voted 3-0 Dec. 26 to approve a notice of award and subrecipient award agreement with the facilities authority.
CCDC needs to house some inmates in outof- county jails when the jail is full, the law firm Floyd and Driver said in a writ ten description of the project. The Norman-based firm is advising county officials on ARPA-related issues.
“By transporting inmates and housing them in other facilities when the county facility is experiencing overcrowding, the county can maintain the general health, safety, and welfare of the citizenry and inmates within the facility and for those being transported to other facilities,” the firm said.
The funds will come out of the county’s pot of ARPA dollars, which was about $23.45 million. All ARPA funds must be allocated by the end of this year and spent by Dec. 31, 2026.
To ease the housing crunch at CCDC, the county ships some of its inmates to out-oftown jails. The county currently has inmate housing contracts with Grady, Greer, Okmulgee, Pottawatomie and Seminole counties but is only using Greer, Grady and Okmulgee at the moment, since they have space available, said Jail Administrator David Weber.
CCDC had 236 inmates altogether as of the morning of Dec. 26, said Jail Administrator David Weber. That number included 124 inmates who were sent to out-of-town jails.