A sheriff and her deputies have resigned in disgust after a judge allegedly ignored their concerns about the safety of the county jail – and allegedly offered a bribe to get them to overlook the potentially fatal hazards.
Nowata County in Oklahoma is without a sheriff’s agency after Sheriff Terry Barnett quit, followed by the rest of the county’s deputies and most of her staff, over ignored safety hazards including carbon monoxide leaks and exposed wiring in the showers.
Barnett even alleges Nowata County Associate District Judge Carl Gibson offered to raise her salary to $75,000 to sweep the list of faults under the carpet. It is not clear what her current salary is.
Nowata County in Oklahoma is without a sheriff’s agency after Sheriff Terry Barnett (pictured) quit, followed by the rest of the county’s deputies and most of her staff, over ignored safety hazards including carbon monoxide leaks and exposed wiring in the showers
Among an damning allegations, Barnett lists:
- Exposed wiring in the shower areas and throughout the jail
- Broken plumbing with damaged sewer lines and methane gasses seeping in
- A carbon monoxide leak which has sent four employees to the emergency room
- The fire alarm system mandated by the fire marshal is not in place
- A snake fell on a prisoner’s head when a jail door was opened
Barnett took the list of problems to Judge Gibson, telling him the building simply does not comply with constitutional standards and needed a total overhaul.
But instead, she claims, the judge told her to take a two-week vacation to Greece while the safety inspections were carried out, and said she would return to a hefty $75,000 salary.
‘I will not sweep these things under the carpet,’ Barnett said in a press conference.
Barnett took the list of problems to Judge Gibson, telling him the building simply does not comply with constitutional standards and needed a total overhaul (the run down cell is shown)
Some more of the poor conditions are pictured by Now At 5 News, including moldy walls
The jail has a broken toilet but when Barnett urged the judge for a refurbishment she was asked to sweet it under the carpet
‘Judge Gibson asked to meet with me, and he felt that Nowata County was going to become a train wreck if we continued to house prisoners elsewhere,’ she said.
‘He stated to me, ‘Let’s say you go to Greece for two weeks, and when you come back, the jail is open and has passed all inspections and the prisoners are returned.’
‘He also stated to me he felt like he could get my salary up to around $75,000 in order for me to increase the salaries of employees who work in the Sheriff’s Office.
‘I do feel like he tried to bribe me last Thursday,’ she added.
Images taken from Now At 5 news coverage show the state of the badly damaged building.
Sheriff Barnett said she told the judge she would not compromise her integrity and told the judge that Nowata County was ‘extremely corrupt’.
She added: ‘When I was elected, I said I would do the right thing. I was hopeful to see change in Nowata County. But now I see without support it is only continuing to create a dangerous situation.
Among an damning allegations, Barnett lists: Exposed wiring in the shower areas and throughout the jail; broken plumbing with damaged sewer lines and methane gasses seeping in; a carbon monoxide leak which has sent four employees to the emergency room
Nowata County sheriff’s office and jail in Oklahoma (pictured) now only has two jailers and three dispatchers on duty
‘Instead of looking for solutions, many would prefer to hope and pray that nothing will happen.
‘Today, as I leave this office officially at 11, I, too, hope and pray nothing happens, that our prisoners remain safe wherever they are and our employees remain safe. But I will not sweep these things under the carpet.’
Barnett even alleges the judge threatened her with prison in order to get her to comply.
‘I came in here, was ordered up here by the judge, and he basically said if I don’t get prisoners back over here I would be in contempt and go to jail, and this job is not worth me going to jail. I have a family to take care of,’ she said.
Two jailers and three dispatchers decided to stay on, with one telling TulsaWorld that they also handle fire and ambulance services, so without them county residents would be put at risk.
Judge Gibson appeared to defend himself at a later administrative hearing, telling the court he has an ‘obligation to live within a budget,’ KTUL reports.
He also issued a statement saying he would not comment directly on allegations.