Document text
CLEAR Temp: 64 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Monday, September 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend August 29, 2003 Judge signs jail-cap decree By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Fewer inmates will be released from the Jackson County Jail under a new court-ordered cap. U.S. Magistrate James Redden has signed into effect a settlement between the county and jail inmates represented by the American Civil Liberties Union. The agreement increases the county’s jail cap from 190 inmates to a discretionary number around 255 in exchange for giving prisoners a bed raised off the floor. County officials said the new cap allows them to keep more prisoners in jail. "We are proceeding forward in a good way that does not threaten people in the jail," said Doug McGeary, assistant county counsel. "I think the resolution is very fair," said Sarah Drescher, a third-year law student who negotiated the settlement with the assistance of her father, ACLU attorney and Ashland Municipal Court Judge Allen Drescher. Advertisement "I hope to see some major improvements at the Jackson County Jail," she said. Allen Drescher maintains the ACLU let the county off the hook by settling the case. The jail had been violating federal law by routinely putting inmates on the floor when beds ran out over the weekend and deputies were not coordinating releases. Federal courts in various cases since the 1980s have ruled that forcing inmates to sleep on the floor is a violation of their constitutional rights. McGeary said he and other county officials only became aware of the problem within the past month. County officials apparently did not notice a condition condemning mattresses on the floor that U.S. Magistrate Michael Hogan tacked onto an order establishing the jail’s cap in 1987. Language in the settlement, however, prevents prisoners who have slept on the floor from suing the county, McGeary said. Although the county received notice of the settlement order Thursday, Sheriff Mike Winters took immediate action last week to move inmates off the floor. Deputies transferred beds from the Talent correctional facility, which was closed because of budget cuts earlier this year. The Talent facility will not reopen as previously stated to handle the inmate overflow, which would require the county to pay deputies overtime, Winters said. More beds are on order, which will increase available bunks in the jail to about 270, Winters said. The number of beds tops the recommended cap in case of an emergency, Winters said. However, the jail doesn’t have the staff to supervise more than approximately 230 inmates on a regular basis, he said, adding that inmate numbers routinely exceed 250, forcing their release. The jail continued to operate under the original cap of 190 until Thursday, releasing about 80 inmates over the past six days. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times