Tulsa Municipal Jail To Close Following Mayor's Announcement

Tulsa Municipal Jail To Close Following Mayor's Announcement

Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols announced Friday that the Tulsa Municipal Jail will close immediately, with detainees being transferred to the Tulsa County David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center in the coming days.

The decision comes one day after The Frontier published surveillance video and reporting detailing the final hours of Justin Benner, who died at the city jail in September 2025 after detention officers placed him in a full-body restraint device and left him alone in a cell.

Tulsa Municipal Jail Closure Begins Immediately

Mayor Nichols said he has directed the Tulsa Police Department to begin closing the facility and transitioning detainees to the county jail, with most transfers expected to be completed by July 31.

In a statement, Nichols said recent public questions surrounding the operation of the municipal jail require immediate action.

"Those are important questions, and regardless of any one circumstance, it is my responsibility to ensure our public safety system meets the high standards our community expects," Nichols said.

Nichols has also instructed Tulsa Public Safety Commissioner Laurel Roberts to conduct a review of the city's detention and prisoner transportation policies to ensure they reinforce accountability and meet public expectations.

The mayor also said he will seek to expedite outstanding public records requests related to the municipal jail.

Investigation Renewed Focus On Jail Operations

The announcement follows reporting by The Frontier that included surveillance footage documenting the final hours of Justin Benner before his death inside the city jail.

According to The Frontier, Benner died in September 2025 after detention officers placed him in a full-body restraint device and left him alone inside a holding cell.

The Frontier previously reported that at least seven people have died from preventable causes at the Tulsa Municipal Jail during the past three years. The investigation also alleged that employees repeatedly warned city officials about unsafe conditions, inadequate medical care and operational concerns inside the facility.

Following publication of the latest investigation, Tulsa City Councilors Laura Bellis and Lori Decter Wright publicly called for the jail to be closed, citing concerns about detainee safety and accountability.

City Will Return Detainees To County Jail

Tulsa housed municipal detainees at the David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center until 2018, when city leaders opened the municipal jail after disputes over detention costs with Tulsa County.

At the time, city officials argued operating a municipal jail would improve safety while reducing long-term expenses.

However, subsequent reporting found the city's jail experienced a higher death rate than the county facility while operating costs increased to millions of dollars annually—well beyond original projections.

Before Friday's announcement, Tulsa officials had already planned to vacate the current jail building by 2028 and were considering whether to construct a new municipal detention facility or permanently return detainees to the county jail. In April, Mayor Nichols proposed allocating more than $10 million toward construction of a new 140-bed city jail.

Friday's announcement significantly accelerates those plans, with city officials now moving to close the Tulsa Municipal Jail and transition detainees to county custody.

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