The University of Tulsa Professor of Law Matt Lamkin has launched the Jail Death Accountability Project, a research initiative focused on increasing transparency surrounding deaths in Oklahoma detention and correctional facilities.
The project aims to help families better understand the circumstances surrounding the deaths of loved ones in custody while examining the challenges they face when seeking information and accountability. Through research, public records requests and community outreach, the initiative will collect and analyze data related to in-custody deaths across the state.
Lamkin said the idea for the project developed after a sabbatical during which he worked with Tulsa-based civil rights litigation firm Smolen & Roytman, a nationally recognized firm that has represented families in several high-profile jail death cases.
Through that work, Lamkin consulted on cases that resulted in some of the largest jail death verdicts in the country. He also became increasingly aware of the scale of the issue in Oklahoma.
“I’ve been shocked by the volume of these cases,” he said. “These deaths are happening constantly, and it’s often extremely difficult for families to find out what really happened to their loved one behind bars.”
According to Lamkin, more than 60 people have died in the Oklahoma County Jail since 2020. He believes that figure reflects broader challenges facing detention facilities across the state.
According to Lamkin, many families rely on information provided by the facility where the death occurred. However, that information may not always offer a complete picture of the circumstances leading to the death. The project seeks to bridge that gap by helping families understand their options and by documenting broader patterns across the state.
Research, transparency and student involvement
A key component of the project involves the use of Oklahoma’s open records laws to obtain information about deaths that occur in custody. Lamkin expects many requests to face resistance, making access to public records a central focus of the initiative.
“Part of the research is finding out what people are being told versus what’s actually happening in these cases,” Lamkin said.
The project will also create opportunities for law students to gain hands-on research experience. Lamkin hopes to hire student research assistants to help review records, analyze data and study how families navigate the legal system following an in-custody death.
The initiative reflects several connections within the UTulsa Law community. Lamkin has consulted with alumni working in civil rights litigation and received guidance from UTulsa Law alumna Leslie Briggs (J.D. ’19).
Briggs leads the Oklahoma chapter of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and is one of Lamkin’s former students. She worked alongside The Frontier to seek public records related to deaths at the Tulsa Municipal Jail, efforts that helped bring increased scrutiny to the facility before its recent closure was ordered by Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols (B.A. ’06).
For Lamkin, the project’s long-term goal is not only to inform the public but also to encourage meaningful discussion about conditions inside Oklahoma’s jails. “I’m just trying to shed light on the problem,” he said. “The conversation should be about how we prevent these deaths.”
As the project continues to grow, Lamkin hopes its research will provide valuable information for families, policymakers, legal professionals and communities across Oklahoma while offering UTulsa students a unique opportunity to engage with issues at the intersection of law, medicine, ethics and civil rights.