The city is targeting July 31 for the transfer of most detainees. That date is a planned transition deadline, not confirmation that every detainee will be moved or that all municipal jail operations will end without exceptions.

The change follows reporting by The Frontier about deaths and reported concerns involving medical screening, supervision, staffing and records access. It could change how people arrested on Tulsa municipal charges are booked, housed and transported.

What is changing for people arrested in Tulsa

Under the Tulsa Police Department’s current procedures, people detained on city charges or municipal warrants are taken to the Tulsa Municipal Jail for processing. People with only state charges or state warrants generally go directly to David L. Moss.

People with both city and state charges may still be taken to the municipal jail first for city-charge processing unless the state case involves a dangerous felony, according to the department’s existing information. The city has not yet published a complete post-transition procedure for every combination of charges.

Most municipal detainees are expected to move to David L. Moss under the mayor’s directive. The city and county still need to clarify how booking, transportation, medical screening, court access and custody oversight will work during and after the transition.

Why the mayor ordered the change

The Frontier reported in March that at least seven people had died at the Tulsa Municipal Jail since January 2023. Its investigation reported concerns about intake practices, medical care, supervision, staffing and the handling of warnings from current and former employees.

A federal lawsuit filed July 9 also alleges that Tulsa officials, Allied Universal and jail personnel ignored warnings and failed to provide adequate medical care. The lawsuit’s claims have not been adjudicated and should not be treated as court-proven findings.

In announcing the closure process, Nichols said he had directed Public Safety Commissioner Laurel Roberts to review detention and transport policies. He also said the city would expedite outstanding open-records requests related to the jail.

What families and attorneys may need to know

After a transfer, families may need to use David L. Moss procedures for inmate information, visitation, property pickup, trust accounts and medical-service questions. The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office lists the facility at 300 N. Denver Ave. and provides an inmate-information search, visitation instructions and a medical-services helpline.

Those county resources describe existing operations at David L. Moss. They do not establish how many city detainees will arrive, when individual transfers will occur or whether the final transition schedule will match the city’s July 31 target.

What it could mean for city and county budgets

Tulsa previously housed municipal arrestees at the county jail before opening its own municipal lockup. The Frontier reported that the city-county relationship changed after a dispute over detention costs, and that city leaders later weighed whether to build another municipal facility or return to county housing.

The current decision could create new questions about county housing payments, transportation, staffing, medical services and capacity. Updated cost figures, contract terms and operational plans are still needed before the effect on Tulsa or Tulsa County taxpayers can be calculated.

What happens next

The immediate next steps are the planned transfer process, Roberts’ policy review and the city’s work on outstanding records requests. Tulsa also has not resolved its long-term jail strategy: whether to rely on David L. Moss, pursue another municipal facility or use a different arrangement.

For residents, the practical change is that an arrest on a Tulsa municipal charge may lead to booking or detention at David L. Moss by the end of July. The city and county’s next public updates should clarify transportation, medical screening, court coordination, family communication and the cost of the new arrangement.

Sources

• KOSU report on the closure directive
• Tulsa Police Department municipal jail procedures
• Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office David L. Moss information
• The Frontier investigation and lawsuit coverage