Publicly defend and join us in demanding transparency by signing our petition calling for the release of individuals detained in Grady County Jail, Kay County Detention Center, and the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center.

Why is this important?

The conditions at Grady County Jail, Kay County Detention Center, and the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center are explicitly hidden from our communities as they are neglectful and oftentimes deadly to those kept within. Claims of neglect and life threatening conditions have been made against local jails and prisons throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and continue to rise. As do the number of deaths of people detained.

The Tulsa County jail currently holds around 1200-1300 people. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been 542 positive cases reported among those detained. As of last month, August 2021, only 15% of people detained had been vaccinated. Tulsa County Jail recently reported that there were 77 active COVID-19 cases.

One of the facilities, Grady County Jail is paid a daily rate of $64 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain and hold up to 330 male and female prisoners for extended periods of time. What is absolutely alarming is that most transfers from the facility in Grady have tested positive upon arriving at other locations. Grady has been nationally ranked for it’s exposure to COVID, and since the beginning of pandemic at least 1 in 8 have been affected by COVID.

We have visited Kay County Detention Center in Newkirk, Oklahoma where the holding capacity should be kept under 108, and yet it has been known to be ignored in the past. As of today, there have been 5,949 total cases, and 132 deaths.

It is shameful that county sheriffs and ICE offices in Dallas and Chicago have neglected to document and share the spread of COVID-19 within the facilities where detainees are housed. DAOK’s Release Them Now campaign is ready to expose inhumane detention conditions and demand transparency. Our community deserves accountability!  

Sign our petition to allow your voice to be heard against the inhumane detention of our community during a global pandemic.