Community hopes for more than a name change as ODOC gives insight on private prison takeover
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) held a tour of the Red Rock Correctional Center, formerly known as the Lawton Correctional Facility, allowing people to get a glimpse of how they’ve been managing the takeover of the state’s last privately operated prison
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) held a tour of the Red Rock Correctional Center, formerly known as the Lawton Correctional Facility, allowing people to get a glimpse of how they’ve been managing the takeover of the state’s last privately operated prison. Multiple media organizations and several state lawmakers were in attendance. The facility was purchased back in July of 2025, and since then, state officials have been slowly working to weed out the operations of The GEO Group, which is the private company that was previously overseeing the prison.
One of the largest benefits of the purchase that was talked about by many state officials was the workforce that came with it. During the transition, all GEO employees were offered to retain employment at the facility. According to the prison’s warden, David Rogers, ODOC was able to retain 92% of the staff. With that being said, the facility is not running at maximum staffing levels. Rogers said they have around 300 staff members. However, he also states they can operate sufficiently while continuously hiring.
“I like a challenge,” Rogers said when asked about his reasoning behind taking the job.
The way GEO was operating the former private prison known as the Lawton Correctional Facility came with a lot of controversy, both from state officials and loved ones who had family or friends on the inside. The main point of tension when it came to a private company operating a prison was the lack of state oversight. For example, after what many referred to as a mini-riot in early 2024, ODOC officials tried to calm the nerves of those with concerns by sharing a new body camera pilot program they were rolling out. The important thing to note is that this program didn’t apply to Red Rock when it was privately operated.
Now the state department has full oversight when it comes to operations and procedures. However, there are community members who still have concerns about the future of the facility, given its past. Emily Barnes has been an avid advocate for those inside prison walls for the past 15 years. Additionally, Barnes founded Hooked on Justice, a nonprofit that’s mission is centered around bringing awareness to the injustices of the justice system.
“Lawton is still understaffed,” she stated. “I do not see how it is helping our communities.”
During the conversation with Barnes, there was a reported stabbing that occurred at Red Rock. Dark Roast staff reached out to ODOC officials who confirmed the incident and sent the following statement:
“We can confirm that an incident occurred during the evening hours of Oct. 27, 2025. Following an assessment by on-site medical professionals, it was determined that the inmate required further treatment and was transported to the local hospital. The incident is currently under investigation by the ODOC Office of the Inspector General.”
“It looks like they have the violence under control, but they really don’t,” Barnes continued.
However, Rogers is optimistic about the prison’s future. Despite being repeatedly referred to as the state’s most violent prison, Rogers said this is an opportunity to change that stigma for the better and start fresh.
“We have the chance to change that by establishing a little bit of buy-in with the guys, a little bit of opportunity, and then we just need some people to take advantage of that opportunity, grab it by both hands and ride it out of here,” Rogers said.
One of the biggest improvements, Rogers said, that has been made after the takeover was the food service. He said adding to this service would be at the top of his list.
“We owe them something for being human beings,” Rogers said. “You don’t stop being a human because you’re an inmate.”
Although this facility is in the early stages of its transition, officials have said it’s in the best shape compared to the rest of the prisons in the state. Rogers and Public Information Officer Kay Thompson have said Red Rock is acting as a sort of blank slate for the future of Oklahoma corrections, more specifically, in the artificial intelligence department.
GEO had already installed a full-body x-ray scanner that uses A.I. to assist in object detection. Rogers and another staff member said it helps to catch things that otherwise might have been skipped over in a search. Additionally, the prison now has two drone programs. The first is one that was left behind from GEO which was a system that used A.I. to detect drones in the airspace around the prison. The second, is a pilot drone program that ODOC is taking part of to assist with combating contraband coming into the facility. These drones will work in partnership with the detection system. According to the press release sent out for the program, it will keep contraband from being dropped along the prison walls, allowing officers to focus on other things, such as rehabilitation.
According to Thompson, the department surveyed the inmates prior to the state taking over and will survey them again come November to get a full understanding of the inmates thoughts on the takeover. In conjunction with wanting inmate feedback, Thompson said they will soon be implementing personalized case plans using A.I.
“We are such a data-heavy agency,” Thompson explained. “We also have lower recidivism.”
Thompson said this initiative, which hasn’t rolled out yet, will allow the DOC to take key information and decipher what makes the inmates who get out of prison not come back.
One side effect this purchase has had heavily impacts property taxes. Now that the state owns the prison, they don’t pay property taxes, impacting the Ad Valorem revenue that’s brought in. In one case, it affected Geronimo Public Schools as the facility actually sits within Geronimo’s district. You can read more about that in a previous article:
Seth Marsicano
After getting a sense of the takeover, Dark Roast’s Seth Marsicano spoke with a few of the lawmakers who also made the drive out to the facility.
“I was interested to see what we spent state dollars on,” said Senator Mark Mann.
The purchase cost the state $312 million dollars overall, but when it comes to annual expenses, Thompson said it’s pretty much breaks even. Ultimately, Mann said he believed it was a good purchase while noting the infrastructure of DOC is aging. Senator Nicki Nice was also in attendance and in agreement with Mann, but said one thing she wanted to see was the follow through on implementing rehabilitation programs and addressing mental health.
“It seems the warden is really working to see that this is a top-tier facility,” Nice stated. “Knowing they’re Oklahoma residents, regardless of their mistakes, we still have to take care of the person.”
House Representative Stacy Jo Adams was the only house member in attendance and stated she came to see if the state was apprehensive with the purchase. One of the important takeaways Adams had was the officer retention being as high as it was. Adams shared Nice’s concerns about mental health.
“People don’t just wake up one day and decide to go to prison,” Adams stated. “There’s usually something going on in their life.”
When asked, Thompson did say that ODOC is done with contracting private facilities to operate their prisons. It’s only been around three months in the state’s takeover of the last private prison, so it’s a bit early to decide whether these adjustments will benefit in the long run. However, Dark Roast staff will work to request the surveys come November to hear what the inmates themselves have to say. On the other hand, it’s the general consensus that this is the preferred outcome, as opposed to GEO’s operations, both from state officials and the community at large.
