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Oklahoma’s most violent prison to end state contract
news
June 26, 2024
Oklahoma’s most violent prison to end state contract
By HEATHER WARLICK AND RUBY TOPALIAN OKLAHOMA WATCH,

Lawton Correctional Facility, the last statecontracted private prison in Oklahoma, may soon close.

The prison’s owner/ operator, The GEO Group, a corporation that owns and operates private prisons nationwide, informed the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, or ODOC, and Oklahoma Senate leadership through a letter received Friday that it will not renew the state contract for its operation of the prison.

GEO gave the state three months to move 2,616 inmates housed in the Lawton Correctional Facility, starting July 1.

According to the Department of Corrections, the correctional facility is the most violent prison in Oklahoma with several concerning incidents making headlines in the last few months, including the homicide of a prisoner whose body went undiscovered in a trash can for several hours.

The decision to discontinue the contract was based at least partially on Governor Kevin Stitt’s veto, which de-nied GEO a $3 million raise on top of the $48 million the state pays to GEO annually.

Before Stitt’s veto, GEO appealed to ODOC for the additional money but was denied; over the last four years, the state increased funding to GEO by $6.8 million.

“In recent years, wage inflation and staffing shortages, following the COVID pandemic, have negatively impacted staff recruitment and retention at all state correctional facilities,” a GEO spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement to Oklahoma Watch.

The Department of Corrections Board of Directors is weighing options for the prison, its inmates and staff. The board is expected to release a statement Wednesday.

GEO still has interests in Oklahoma as the owner of the buildings that house the Great Plains Correctional Facility in Hinton. GEO is not involved in the daily operations of that prison, which is leased to the state.

In a statement to Oklahoma Watch, GEO indicated that it would consider renegotiating contract terms for the Lawton Correctional Facility.

School Board Association honors Pippenger, Madewell
A: Main, news
School Board Association honors Pippenger, Madewell
September 17, 2025
OKLAHOMA CITY - Eufaula School Board President Jeff Pippenger and Checotah School Superintendent Monte Madewell were honored for their contribution to education during the annual Education Leadership ...
A: Main, news
Brace yourself for traffic disruptions
September 17, 2025
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation will begin its long-awaited street project on Main Street (SH 9) in downtown Eufaula next week. An ODOT spokesman said traffic control will begin Monday, Sept...
A: Main, news
McIntosh is Candidate for 2025 Miss Indian Oklahoma
September 17, 2025
Miss Janaya McIntosh of Eufaula is a candidate for the upcoming 2025 Miss Indian Oklahoma pageant. The Oklahoma Federation of Indian Women (OFIW) pageants offer young Native American women a chance to...
A: Main, news
Ford holding food drive
September 17, 2025
Ford dealers around the world are joining together to conduct the World’s Largest Ford Dealer Food Drive, now through Sept. 25. The local dealership where you may drop off food is Sam Wampler’s Freedo...
A: Main, news
LEA 2025 Golf Tournament Sept. 26
September 17, 2025
The 2025 Lake Eufaula Association Golf Tournament is just a week away, to be held Friday Sept. 26 at Arrowhead Golf Course, 3657 Main Park Rd., Canadian. Registration is at 8 a.m., shotgun start is at...
A: Main, news
POW/MIA Ceremony is Friday
September 17, 2025
On Friday, Sept. 19 the VFW Post 8798 Auxiliary will host a dinner in honor of soldiers who have not returned home from battle. The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the Post dining room on SH 9 east.
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Lake Eufaula Out of Darkness Walk this Saturday
September 17, 2025
Don’t miss the Lake Eufaula Out of Darkness Walk this Saturday, September 20. Come walk and show your support as locals bring awareness to suicide and how you can prevent it. “Being able to see the wa...
A: Main, news
Flag exchange drive
September 17, 2025
VFW Auxiliary 8798 would like to help you properly dispose of your worn out flags. We will exchange your worn 3x5 United States American Flag for a brand new one. Dates will be shared over the upcomin...
A: Main, news
Tribal Town Spelling Bee Sept. 27
September 17, 2025
The Eufaula-Canadian Tribal Town and the MCN Language Preservation Program will host the 10th annual Mvskoke Language Spelling Bee Competition on Sept. 27 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Eufaula Indian Co...
A: Main, news
Suspect awaits sanity decision in Minner case
By MICHAEL BARNES 
September 17, 2025
When a June 10 headline shook the community—Selby Minner, beloved blues musician and cultural icon, found dead—the shock reverberated through Rentiesville and far beyond. The one arrested for her murd...
Oklahoma Farm Bureau hosts 4th Annual Capitol Camp
news
Oklahoma Farm Bureau hosts 4th Annual Capitol Camp
By LaDonna Rhodes Staff Writer 
September 17, 2025
117 FFA and 4-H students from across the state convened at the Oklahoma State Capitol for the Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s 4th Annual Capitol Camp held Sept. 3 – 4. The camp was an immersive twoday experien...
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