The Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester is under scrutiny after a 26-year-old inmate, Justin Howard, was found dead at the facility on May 17. The Oklahoma Department of Corrections has launched an investigation into what happened inside the historic maximum-security prison.
According to News On 6, Howard was serving two 10-year sentences for possession of a stolen vehicle out of Rogers County and had a first-degree robbery conviction out of Tulsa County. He died while in custody at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, and corrections officials say they are looking into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Where it happened
The Oklahoma State Penitentiary is the state's oldest maximum-security prison and houses death row, according to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. The fact sheet notes that OSP operates a 24/7 infirmary and specialized units for high-security inmates and lists the facility’s address as 1301 N. West Street in McAlester.
Investigation and next steps
The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine Howard’s official cause of death, and News On 6 reports that autopsy results can take time. In April, the Department of Corrections rolled out a public “Deaths in Custody” dashboard to centralize information on inmate deaths, a transparency move covered by the Journal Record.
ODOC says it will update the deaths-in-custody dashboard as new information becomes available and will post the medical examiner’s findings when they are released, according to the agency’s Oklahoma Department of Corrections. This story will be updated if officials release additional details about Howard’s death or the ongoing investigation.
