Oklahoma County Detention Bureau

Character Emphasis Timeline

The Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office has about 800 employees-450 detention staff and 350 employees in other bureaus-and 285 reserves. The Oklahoma County Detention Center currently houses about 2400 inmates. One hundred to one hundred fifty new inmates enter the facility each day, and about 44,000 inmates will pass through the facility in a year.

1998

In December 1998, Chaplain Argyl Dick of Oklahoma Jail & Prison Ministries began work among the inmates of the Oklahoma County Detention Center. After the Sheriff's chaplain retired, Sheriff John Whetsel asked Chaplain Dick to care for the spiritual needs of all Sheriff's Office employees.

2000

In 2000, Major Cliff Uranga asked Chaplain Dick for help with discipline problems and property destruction in the juvenile pod. These inmates, aged 13 to 17 years of age, had committed or were accused of murder, armed robbery, rape, or other crimes too serious for juvenile detention. Chaplain Dick suggested character training and began working on some materials.
Before long, an internet search uncovered the Character Training Institute (CTI)- just three blocks from the jail. After getting permission from Sheriff Whetsel, Chaplain Dick started a weekly character class with assistance from Larry Rhoads, then director of CTI, and John Burnett, current director of Character First! Business. Attendance remains voluntary.
Six months later, a juvenile inmate mentioned to Chaplain Dick the officers needed character training as well, and Chaplain Dick received permission to place a monthly character quality poster next to the elevators on each of the jail's 13 floors. He also places posters in the command center window of each pod.

"We respond in a given situation out of two resources: number one, we respond out of our training… and secondly, we respond out of our character." -Chaplain Argyl Dick

Since the start of the character class, the facility has not had to replace the ceiling grid in the juvenile pod, something they previously did two or more times every year. "If nothing else," said Sheriff Whetsel, "it's saving us $20,000 [per incident]."
The program soon expanded to include female juvenile offenders.
Supervisors in the Detention Center began publicly recognizing each employee for character on his or her employment anniversary.

2002

In February 2002, Chaplain Dick worked through the chain of command to purchase the first character display board. The Sheriff's Office now has two in the detention center, one in both the agency's substations, one at a remote training facility, and one at a remote patrol and maintenance facility.
Major Uranga began a tradition of giving Chaplain Dick 15 minutes each month to discuss the monthly character quality with the command staff.

2003

In 2003, Sheriff Whetsel started sending his command staff and some other employees to the two-day Character First! Implementation Seminar. Over 150 employees have attended.
Starting in 2003, all 800 regular Sheriff's Office employees began receiving the monthly character bulletin with their paychecks.

2004

In 2004, the dietician started hanging framed copies of all 49 character quality posters in the lunch room. These posters reinforce the priority of character as employees eat their lunches and as each shift holds lineup before proceeding to work.

2005

In 2005, the Sheriff's Office started an internal character council, which meets quarterly, includes representatives from each bureau in the Sheriff's Office, and is chaired by Chaplain Dick. The Detention Center employees also have a character council, which reports to the Sheriff's Office character council.
Three or four times each year, new hires go through six weeks of training before they start working in the Detention Center. Chaplain Dick began giving one and a half hours of character-based instruction to each class.
The Sheriff's Office requested Chaplain Dick teach a character class for the Security Threat Group pod, containing adult gang members (the Security Threat Group pod has since been discontinued).

2006

In 2006, the organization contracting to provide inmate healthcare asked Chaplain Dick to present character to their employees each month.
At the 2006 Building Cities of Character Conference, Chaplain Dick reported employee turnover had fallen from about 52 percent per year to around 25 percent per year. "I discovered soon into the program that I didn't see a drastic change after 6 months," he said, "We saw an immediate change almost with our juveniles, but with our adults, whose character is basically set, we saw a more difficult time of actually seeing them change, but over a period of several years, we have seen a more gradual change of workmanship and in the person themselves…."
Sheriff Whetsel added a special character award ceremony to the annual Christmas party. The Majors select one person from each bureau for particular recognition.
Also in 2006, Sheriff Whetsel asked Chaplain Dick to start teaching a character class in the mini academies held for all deputies each year.

2009

A captain in the department began recognizing her deputies' service beyond the call of duty with emails praising their character copied to all the deputies in the force.
Today, Major Jack Herron continues the tradition started by Major Uranga, giving Chaplain Dick 15 minutes each month to discuss the monthly character quality with the command staff. Chaplain Dick prepares notes and then hands out a copy of his outline so that each leader can share the message with his or her direct reports.