It would not have been eligible for the Tulsa County contract, though, had a requirement that providers already serve a correctional facility with at least 1,000 beds not been changed to 500 beds.

Without the change, Regalado said Monday, Florida-based Armor, the current provider, would have been the only candidate for the contract.

Turn Key’s base cost proposals were $3.6 million for the last eight months of the current budget year and $5.5 million for the subsequent year.

Armor proposed just under $4.1 million for eight months. It did not submit a 12-month proposal.

Armor’s clients include Oklahoma County; the Virginia Department of Corrections; Broward (Fort Lauderdale) and Palm Beach counties in Florida; and Nassau (Long Island) County, New York.

Southwest Correctional Medical Group, an affiliate of California-based Correctional Medical Group Cos., came in at $6.65 million for 12 months. It is new to the region, with operations at three jails in New Mexico, two in Texas and one in Arkansas.