MAHONING COUNTY JAIL Inmates describe lock-down

Worries about 'Canadian terrorists' had an effect on jail conditions, one inmate said.
AKRON -- Mahoning County Sheriff Randall A. Wellington could find himself on the witness stand today in federal court to defend conditions at the county jail.
A class-action lawsuit filed by two Akron attorneys on behalf of inmates alleges unsafe and crowded conditions with inmates locked in the cells for days on end. U.S. District Judge David D. Dowd is hearing the evidence without a jury.
The plaintiffs wrapped up their side Tuesday afternoon with the testimony of current inmates. The central theme of several corrections officers who testified before the inmates was that the jail is understaffed.
Mahoning County is being defended by Columbus lawyers Daniel T. Downey and Mark Landes. They acknowledge that many inmates are double bunked and are locked down when necessary to ensure their safety and the safety of the guards.
The practice of lock-downs does not violate constitutional rights, they said.
The defense was to begin its case today with Alki Santamas, warden/jail administrator. Downey said he would also call the sheriff to the witness stand today.
7-day lock-down
In court Tuesday afternoon, Judge Dowd heard testimony from 24-year-old Jeffrey Hammond of Youngstown, who was booked into the jail July 13 on an aggravated burglary charge with a gun specification. Hammond received a six-month sentence a week ago in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on a reduced charge of burglary. The gun specification was dismissed in a plea agreement.
Hammond's pretrial deposition, obtained by The Vindicator, shows that he spent four months in the Trumbull County jail on a gun charge in 1999. He also has been convicted of carrying a concealed weapon, though the sentence and jurisdiction weren't noted.
Hammond told Judge Dowd that he is being given credit for the time he's already served in the Mahoning County jail for the burglary conviction and will be released on Jan. 9.
The inmate testified to conditions at the jail. He said that in November, for example, he and others in his cell range (36 cells) were "locked down" for seven days in a row. During that time, they were out of their cells a total of 12 hours because of the lack of deputies to guard them.
Hammond used notes to refresh his memory. He said he started keeping track in September.
He complained that visitation periods were taken away because of the lack of guards. Short breaks don't allow time for all the inmates to make phone calls, he said.
Thomas Kelley, one of the Akron lawyers suing the county, asked Hammond how he's been affected by prolonged periods of being confined to his cell.
"I can't speak to my family -- I'm stressed out," Hammond answered. "I'm losing my mind. I'm talking to myself."
'Canadian terrorists'
Hammond said when he and the other inmates are let out of their cells, fights break out because everyone tries to jump on the phones first. Also, trying to have 36 inmates use four showers in two hours isn't enough time, he said.
Kelley then asked about the toilets.
"They work when they wanna work," Hammond said. He said he once put a magazine over his toilet to keep the smell down.
Another inmate who testified, Brian Baxter, 34, of Hubbard, is a federal detainee. He said he was originally booked into the jail in April on a drug paraphernalia charge but has since been federally indicted on a charge of possession of heroin.
Baxter testified about not having access to all the law books he wants to read. He also testified about being locked down for extended periods of time.
"We were told the deputies were needed to transport inmates to court," he said. "Then, after September, we were told there were threats from Canadian terrorists."
The Canadian terrorist comment drew smiles from everyone listening to Baxter's testimony.