A former corrections officer who resigned in December 2016 has since posted hidden-camera video footage from within the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center (LARC).
The videos, in which fellow employees have profanity-laden conversations and deride those in their custody, recently came to the attention of Oklahoma Department of Corrections director Joe Allbaugh. Allbaugh issued a statement Tuesday regarding his department’s response:
I want to be very clear, this type of behavior and expression of opinion is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. After watching the video a LARC supervisor has been suspended pending further investigation. The ongoing investigation at LARC surrounding this incident will be organized through our Office of Inspector General.
I have visited most of our facilities throughout the state and I can say that what was captured on this video does not reflect the many hardworking, and respectful employees at the department.
The videos
On April 11, a YouTube user by the name of James Larrick posted three videos of surreptitiously shot footage of interactions with LARC coworkers and inmates. Each feature vignette-style interactions between fellow employees as well as inmates. A heavy metal soundtrack punctuates the transitions between “scenes.”
The first clip (above) opens with Guns ‘n’ Roses’ Welcome to the Jungle playing in the background as titles reading, “my resignation from the oklahoma department of corrections by james m. larrick” fade in and out over shaky footage of what appears to be the employee walking inside the facility:
The first video goes on to reveal what were supposed to be private conversations between fellow LARC employees. The dialogue includes complaints about working conditions, how to deal with inmates purportedly “having a seizure” and footage of an inmate telling a story about supposedly escaping from police custody.
The second part opens with what appears to be a supervisor bemoaning staff shortages before eventually cutting to another would-be supervisor advising staff members to be more vigilant regarding security checks with regard to inmate suicides.
“We need to be watching this shit,” the supervisor concludes.
The third clip opens with Christmas music, and a speaker in the video (another supervisor, apparently) states that it’s Christmas Eve.
The scene eventually changes to another supervisor instructing staff, “Don’t let ’em be dead for more than 30 minutes or we’re gonna be in fuckin’ trouble,” in reference to security checks of an area housing mainly child molesters. Scheduling in light of staff shortages is also discussed.
LARC no stranger to problems
The former employee’s videos constitute merely the latest in a string of bad news surrounding LARC off and on for about the past decade.
In June of last year, the facility lost power and had to switch to generators after lightning knocked out the traditional power source. In 2014, an inmate took a female LARC staff member hostage at knife point, and an inmate died suddenly while in custody during 2008.
Allbaugh and many others have consistently highlighted the under-staffed nature of Oklahoma prisons this legislative session. Budget reductions stemming from the state’s struggling revenue streams combined with inmate overcrowding have reduced pay, created staff shortages and delayed much-needed maintenance.
