Individuals who only have cost warrants no longer have to spend any time in a cell at the Oklahoma County jail after a new policy was put in place.

On Dec. 12, Oklahoma County Judge Tom Prince signed an order stating any person being held only on cost, traffic or wildlife warrants will be immediately released from the jail after the booking process and has 10 days to come back to set up a payment plan.

“The idea is that there is no reason to keep someone overnight only on a cost warrant,” Prince said. “We’ve made our point by having them arrested and brought to the county jail.”

With the old system, people were booked into the jail and held till Judge April Collins, who handles cost warrants, could see them the next day. If it was over a holiday or a weekend, though, the wait was longer.