OKLAHOMA CITY –The Oklahoma Department of Corrections became the owner of the Lawton Correctional & Rehabilitation Facility last week, finalizing the purchase at 9:30 a.m. Friday, DOC officials said.
In a media statement about the purchase, Steven Harpe, the agency’s executive director, said the purchase marks “the end of private prison contracts for the state of Oklahoma.”
This year state lawmakers earmarked $312 million of cash reserves to purchase the facility from the GEO Group. The prison houses about 2,300 state inmates. Built in 1998, the facility will be the newest state-owned prison in the DOC system – by an average of 54 years.
The purchase includs all assets, except vehicles and weapons. The property also includes 400 additional acres of vacant land, allowing for expansion if needed.
Governor Kevin Stitt the purchase was necessary.
“This is the third for-profit prison I’ve closed since becoming governor, and we’ve worked to give tens of thousands of people the opportunity for a second chance,” Stitt said in a media statement. “The private prison in Lawton has had a terrible reputation for years, and now we get to bring that second chance mindset to those in custody in Lawton. I look forward to the positive changes that the Department of Corrections will implement there.”
The purchase of the facility brings all of the Oklahoma’s correctional operations under public oversight, Harpe said. He said the change reflects a long-term investment in better outcomes for both staff and the incarcerated, aligning with ODOC’s ethos to transform lives and be good stewards of taxpayers' dollars.
“Taking over operations in Lawton will provide greater opportunities for those in our care through more access to programs and other needed services,” Harpe said. “I’m excited to bring ODOC’s mission and vision for rehabilitation and changing lives to the men at the facility.”
Harpe said David Rogers, who has extensive experience in law enforcement and corrections in Texas and Oklahoma, will serve as interim warden. Rogers previously served as warden at Joseph Harp Correctional Center in Lexington.
Other ODOC staff will be on-site during the first few weeks to mentor and assist facility staff, ensuring a smooth conversion from a private prison to a staterun facility.