No soap, no phones and overcrowding: Problems reported at new Jackson County jail
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- Families report lack of hygiene supplies, including no soap or deodorant for days.
- New Jackson County jail faced overcrowding with detainees sleeping on multipurpose room.
- Attorneys and others reported unfinished phone systems and access failures.
Inmates held at Jackson County’s new detention center have faced limited hygiene supplies, overcrowding and unfinished phone systems in the facility’s first few days of operation.
An inmate being held in the 470,000-square-foot facility, near U.S. 40 and Interstate 70, shared with family members that there were multiple problems inside the facility after they were transferred there.
“They were moved to the jail too soon,” said the inmate’s grandmother, who asked that she not be identified because she feared for his safety and worried that he might face retaliation. “They weren’t ready, and so they put them in immediate lockdown for three days, and then they let them out, but there’s no phones, and their phones aren’t working yet.”
The new facility, located in eastern Jackson County, replaced the detention center at 1300 Cherry Street, a more than 40-year-old jail that was plagued for years by unsafe overcrowding, deteriorating conditions and allegations of abuse and mismanagement. County officials pitched the new $301 million facility as a long-term solution to many of those problems.
The woman said initially, roughly 60 people living in the pod with her grandson were only given six towels, with those housed in the pod having to use their clothing to dry off.
For the first four or five days, those detained in her grandson’s pod weren’t given any hygiene packets, which meant no deodorant or soap. Water temperature was also a problem, she said.
“The water temperature was so hot they couldn’t shower; it was burning their skin,” the woman said. “They weren’t ready. I think they moved under pressure. It’s just been an example of a move that happened too soon, and the inmates are paying the price for it.”
She said more people have been moved into their pod as of Tuesday, with no available cells or beds. The woman said they are now sleeping on the floor of the multipurpose room.
The woman said even though she knows her grandson will get out eventually, she can’t stop thinking about those who won’t.
“He’s not the only one; that’s what I’ll keep thinking about after he gets out. Who’s going to help these people?” she said. “A majority of them are criminals, I get it, but they also are due their day in court. It’s just not fair, it’s not right.”
Sheriff’s Office acknowledges issues
Jackson County Sheriff Darryl Forté acknowledged several mechanical issues since the facility opened, including drainage problems in a housing unit and laundry room and water pressure issues that have since been resolved.
“As with many newly constructed large-scale facilities, it is not uncommon for operational and mechanical issues to arise during the early stages of occupancy and use,” Forté said. “We remain confident in the ability of our professional staff and facility partners to address concerns promptly as they occur. The safety, security, and wellness of staff and those housed within the facility remain our highest priorities.”
The Sheriff’s Office did not respond directly to questions regarding staffing, unfinished areas or lengthy wait times for defense attorneys.
Jackson County Legislative Chair Manny Abarca said that he hasn’t heard of any issues firsthand that have occurred in the new facility, but there have been plenty of failures in processes that he has heard of indirectly.
“But I can’t get one person to tell me the actual truth that has experienced it,” Abarca said. “I am left in the dark, so we’re kind of stuck in a lurch here as to the oversight we’re responsible for. It’s a challenge at the moment.”
In 2018, a county grand jury investigation concluded that the jail was understaffed and unsafe for corrections officers and those detained.
The report said that on at least two occasions, inmates had used cell phones smuggled into the building to arrange the murders of witnesses to their crimes. The grand jury’s report called for immediate actions to correct deficiencies and find funding for a new jail.
The building of the new facility took years and was delayed through several disputes in the Jackson County Legislature over the size and cost. Construction of the new facility was completed in March, with detainees moved in early May.
The detention center spans roughly 470,000-square-feet and currently has a capacity of 1,000 beds, 200 more than the county detention center. Future expansion has already been projected, according to the county.
The new detention center “represents a modern approach to incarceration, focusing on integrated support services to create a safe, efficient, and human environment for detainees and staff, while respecting the dignity of over 1,000 detained individuals,” the sheriff’s office said in a prior news release.
Attorneys report delays, unfinished systems
Defense attorney Matthew T. Merryman said he has heard complaints about staffing shortages and early operational confusion inside the facility.
During a visit last week, Merryman said he and a jailer were locked outside the building.
“He had a card key, but they had no place to swipe on the outside of the jail to get in, and nobody was responding to the master control function,” Merryman said.
He said he has not heard reports of problems inside housing units from clients, but noted unfinished visitation kiosks with loose wires protruding from walls and desks.
Other attorneys described similar operational problems inside the facility, including Molly Hastings, who has visited the jail three times since it opened days ago.
“I’ve tried to be patient, I’ve tried to be understanding, but it is as if they have never operated a jail before,” Hastings said.
Hastings said she has only been able to see one of her clients during her multiple visits there.
She said jail staff provided conflicting instructions about how attorneys could access their clients.
On her first visit, Hastings said she waited more than an hour before being unable to meet with her client, which she initially attributed to the facility’s first day of operation. During later visits, she said she noticed a lack of airflow inside the building.
“It didn’t appear that the air conditioning was on in the visitation room,” Hastings said.
She said women inside the facility have described hot cell conditions and limited airflow, and at times have asked staff for additional ventilation, which she said was denied for security reasons.
Hastings also pointed to disruptions in early court appearances conducted via Webex, saying overcrowded holding rooms and audio problems made it difficult for detainees to hear or participate in proceedings during remote hearings.
On her third visit on Sunday, Hastings said she entered the building but was unable to find staff despite being told the facility is staffed 24 hours a day and attorneys would have no issue visiting on weekends.
Hastings said she hopes the early issues are temporary as staff become more familiar with the new building.
“Maybe in a month it’ll be a well-oiled machine,” Hastings said. “Right now, it has been an exercise in futility just to do basic communication with incarcerated people who have no other option but to rely on the jail to give them access to their lawyer when their lawyer shows up.”
