April 26, 2023
ODOC Press Release
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) announced today it has entered into a lease agreement with The Geo Group, owner of the Great Plains Correctional Facility (GPCF) near Hinton. Under the agreement, ODOC will lease the Hinton facility from The Geo Group and begin operating the facility in early May 2023.
The facility will house inmates from around the state, providing additional efficiencies, namely saving the State of Oklahoma $3.7 million per year in lease costs and will lower the per-bed, per-day rate by $1.31 based on capacities, all while enhancing public safety outcomes.
GPCF, which will employ approximately 264 correctional officers, medical staff and other corrections professionals, is expected to be fully populated by July 1.
The acquisition of GPCF comes after several years in which ODOC encountered staffing limitations with North Fork Correctional Center (NFCC) in Sayre, a facility leased from CoreCivic since 2016. The location of NFCC, which lies approximately two hours west of ODOC’s headquarters, made recruiting and retaining staff difficult.
With the 66-month lease now in place, ODOC will begin populating GPCF with inmates from around the state and allow the lease agreement with CoreCivic to non-renew. Affected staff at NFCC are given the opportunity to transfer to GPCF or other vacant positions throughout ODOC.
“Opening Great Plains Correctional Facility is necessary for the agency as it continues to change the lives of those in its custody and its employees. Its proximity to more populated areas not only brings greater staff-recruitment potential, but it also allows for increased programmatic opportunities and enhances the level of healthcare services available to those housed there,” said Steven Harpe, ODOC director. “This move has an equally significant financial and public safety impact on Oklahoma, ensuring the state continues to be good stewards of taxpayers’ dollars while enhancing the agency’s ability to change lives for the better.”
GPCF, which opened in 1991, was expanded in 2008 to its current operational capacity of 2,040 inmates. Previously, the facility was operated by The Geo Group and housed inmates for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the states of Oklahoma and Arizona. The facility was depopulated in 2017 when its contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons ended.
With the addition of GPCF in Hinton and the subsequent depopulation of NFCC, ODOC maintains its footprint across the state with 16 state-run institutions (14 male, two female) ranging from minimum to maximum security. ODOC also utilizes the services of two private facilities, one halfway house and operates five community corrections centers.
