MAHONING COUNTY Officials plan upgrades at jail

Toilets, air conditioners and the kitchen floor are being refurbished.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- After nearly a decade of use by thousands of inmates, the stainless steel, vacuum-flush toilet system at the Mahoning County Jail is getting an overhaul, along with the jail's air conditioning system and kitchen floor.
"After eight years of near-constant use, the vacuum system has just worn out," said Sheriff Randall Wellington. "It needs replaced. That's all."
County commissioners recently approved borrowing up to $750,000 to pay for the upgrades at the eight-story jail, which opened in 1996.
Wellington and Kubic said the timing has nothing to do with a lawsuit filed against the county in federal court by inmates who say conditions at the jail violate their constitutional rights.
"This is a high-volume center and it's a unique place," said county Administrator Gary Kubic. "It's time for an overhaul. That's all we're doing."
Lawsuit
Lawyers who filed the lawsuit could not be reached to say whether the changes will impact their case.
Among the complaints in the lawsuit, which was filed in November, was the fact that septic pumping stations that control toilets in the jail have been shut down on many occasions, allowing waste to accumulate in the toilets without being flushed away.
Inmates say the smell is foul and that bacteria created by the accumulated waste presents a health hazard, especially when they are confined to their cells.
The jail uses a vacuum-flush toilet system, which requires no underground piping, eliminating the need to dig up dirt and concrete to reach broken pipes. Such systems are designed to use less water per flush than conventional toilets, which makes them more economical. They consume only a half-gallon of water per flush, compared to more than three gallons per flush with conventional toilets.
The vacuum system is similar to technology typically found in airplanes, off-shore oil rigs and ocean-going vessels.
Wellington and Kubic said there is a backup system that is supposed to take over when the main flushing system fails, but that doesn't always happen.
The upgrade will include both the primary and backup systems, to ensure that both work, Kubic said. The county will maintain the existing system and refurbish the pumping stations.
Adding to the problem
He said some inmates have contributed to the problem by stuffing blankets, toilet paper and other items into the toilets to sabotage them and deliberately back them up.
"They do it daily," Kubic said. "After we're done with this upgrade they'll still do it and they'll still complain. But they're in jail."
With the vacuum system, inmates who jam up a toilet affect only the toilet in their own cell. With conventional systems used in the past, a jammed-up toilet could cause problems for an entire cell range.
Because inmates are being double-bunked in cells, the jail population has nearly doubled since the jail opened, doubling the usage of the toilet system, said Richard Malagisi, facilities director.
"This probably needed done a year ago, but it's reached the critical stage now," Malagisi said. To save money, county facilities workers will make all the upgrades in-house rather than hiring contractors.
Other improvements
Wellington said the air conditioning system at the jail broke down several times last summer, causing temperatures inside to soar. The upgrade will include purchase and installation of new chillers, which should keep that from happening next summer.
The project also will include installation of new flooring material in the kitchen.
Wellington said water gets under the existing floor tiles, causing them to come loose.
"It's damp and its moist all the time," Wellington said. "It's not safe and it's not very sanitary."
bjackson@vindy.com