MAHONING COUNTY Lawyers say jail tour was canceled

The lawyers wanted to tour the jail, but say they were rebuffed by the sheriff.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Two Akron lawyers say they were turned away from the Mahoning County Jail, where they had come to investigate complaints from inmates.
"When the sheriff says he's not going to let us in, it makes me wonder what they have to hide," said Atty. Robert Armbruster, who came to the jail with Atty. Thomas Kelley last week.
Sheriff Randall Wellington said he's not hiding anything. He said the lawyers are welcome to visit clients or inmates at the jail, but not to tour the facility, which is what Armbruster and Kelley had intended to do.
"We can't just have attorneys roaming through this jail and talking to prisoners," Wellington said. "I'm not going to allow that."
Armbruster and Kelley sued the county in 1992 on behalf of former inmates at the former county jail on West Boardman Street. That lawsuit led to closure of the old jail and construction of the new one on Fifth Avenue.
Were allowed inspections
For several years after the new jail opened, the lawyers had permission from a federal court judge to periodically tour and inspect it to make sure the county was complying with state jail standards and with terms of a court-imposed consent decree.
The consent decree was dissolved some two years ago, but Armbruster said he and Kelley are still receiving mail regularly from inmates complaining about overcrowding and other conditions at the jail, including being locked in their cells for hours at a time. The lawyers came to town to see for themselves what's going on.
In August, Wellington told The Vindicator that Armbruster and Kelley would be welcome to tour the jail. Armbruster said he and Kelley decided to take him up on the offer.
Armbruster said he called a day in advance to notify jail officials of their visit and was told they would be given a tour. But when they showed up Oct. 7, Wellington would not allow it.
"Obviously, they talked about it in the meantime and decided they would not allow us in," Armbruster said. "For some reason, something changed."
Sheriff's response
Wellington said he didn't know that a tour was what they wanted until they arrived.
"They seemed to think I was going to let them roam indiscriminately through the jail," Wellington said. "I'm not going to let them, or any other lawyers, do that."
He said the attorneys did end up talking with three inmates before returning to Akron last week.
Wellington said his August comment was misunderstood. The lawyers are welcome to come to the jail any time and talk to inmates in the visiting area, but won't have "carte blanche" access to randomly inspect the lockup and talk with inmates.
"They don't have us under a consent decree any more," Wellington said. "They're just lawyers from another law firm."
bjackson@vindy.com