MAHONING COUNTY Jail toilets prompt complaint

The toilets were out of commission less than 24 hours, a major says.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The mother of a Mahoning County jail inmate said her son had to breathe the stench of human waste because of inoperable toilets in the medical unit.
"Guys are covering the toilets with newspaper to hold down the smell," Mary Rogers told The Vindicator when she called Wednesday. "He can't eat; he's nauseous. To be confined in those conditions is not healthy."
Rogers, in relaying information from her son, said if the toilets are flushed, the waste backs up into the sinks. She said her son, who is confined to his cell 23 hours a day, has called her several times to complain.
Rogers said she advised her son's Boardman lawyer, Albert A. Palombaro, of the situation. The lawyer said Wednesday that because his client is a federal detainee, the information will be passed onto U.S. marshals.
Rogers' son is Demetrus Rogers, 34, of Arch Street, who broke his right ankle and shin bone in June. He reported to the county jail on Monday to await transfer to a federal prison to serve 21/2 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Sheriff Randall A. Wellington was not available Wednesday.
Alki Santamas, jail administrator, did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Checked out complaint
Maj. Michael Budd said he visited Rogers on Wednesday to check out the complaint and found that three toilets in the medical range had been inoperable for around 24 hours. He said the toilets needed vacuum seals, which were shipped overnight and installed Wednesday afternoon.
Budd said the inmates affected were told they could use other toilets, but Rogers, who uses a walker, continued to use his toilet and threw a towel over it. The major said Rogers' appetite did not appear to be impaired because his cell was filled with plenty of commissary food.
Budd said Rogers is unhappy because the medication he takes means he can't be moved into the general population. The medical range has no diversions, such as TV, Budd said.
Rogers broke his right ankle and shin when he ran from police in municipal court in an unrelated case. He ran when told he was under arrest for not being in court when his driving under suspension case was called for sentencing. That case is reset for Sept. 8.
Rogers was injured when he tripped on the steps in city hall.
meade@vindy.com