The Oklahoma Board of Corrections will ask state lawmakers for nearly $9 million to get through the next three months.
The Oklahoman reports that the board voted unanimously Tuesday to request the funds after Corrections Director Joe Allbaugh warned of the department's financial struggle.
The Corrections Department has an annual budget of nearly $500 million and its projected shortfall is a small percentage. But Allbaugh says the department still needs the $8.75 million.
Allbaugh says the department has been in the red all year and has a $5.2 million deficit in payroll alone. He warns that "bills will go unpaid" if the money is not provided.
State and private facilities housed more than 27,000 inmates on Tuesday, with over 1,100 more awaiting transfers from county jails.