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The Nowata County Jail was evacuated due to high carbon monoxide levels Thursday evening. The Nowata County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that some prisoners were transported to another county jail. After a dispatcher complained of feeling ill around 6 o'clock, the Nowata Fire Department responded to the scene. Firefighters discovered the gas concentration, and the decision was made to evacuate the building.

 

 

Four employees became sick and were sent to the hospital to be checked out. THe sheriff's office says there were no carbon monoxide detectors in the building and right now the deputies do not know how long it will take to reopen the jail. 

 

 

Authorities on Friday said no inmates have complained about illness. All 18 inmates have been transferred to the Washington County Sheriff's Office and are being held in the Bartlesville facility. The courthouse and dispatch areas have reopended but the jail will remain closed until OG&E comes to inspect it. The cause of Thursday's gas leak has not been determined, but the office said it suspects exhaust fans and sewer lines are to blame.

 

 

Undersheriff Mark Kirschner in recent weeks has expressed concern in recent Nowata County Commissioner meetings that the jail has been in poor condition for a while. He has added that the jail is a constant danger for everyone involved. The Nowata County Jail hasn't had a working sink for more than a month. In order for the people living in the pods to so basic things like wash their hands, they have to use the shower. Inmates have also been exposed to cables, mold and unusable facilities. The jail also does not have a sprinkler system.