County jail passes muster

Seven areas were deficient in last fall's inspection.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- With increased staffing last fall and all parts of the facility back open, the Trumbull County Jail passed all 61 points of its annual inspection this week from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections.
Coleman Connors, who conducted the inspection Thursday, said the jail was deficient in seven areas in October 2005, when he last inspected the facility. At the time, the second floor of the jail was closed, and many inmates were sleeping on cots because of staffing cuts caused by a county budget shortfall.
Shortly after the inspection, bolstered by the flow of revenue from the two quarter-percent sales taxes enacted during the year, the jail was able to bring jailers back to work.
Connors said Thursday's inspection focused on most of the same areas as the October inspection, and the jail was in compliance with all of the areas, including the seven problem areas from October.
"They did quite a job of getting everything completed," Connors said.
The major problems at that time were that the staffing was inadequate for the size of the jail and there were too many inmates. Other problems were that the day space and seating was not adequate for every inmate, lighting was poor and the facility had not undergone an inspection from the county health department.
Importance of staffing
Connors said correcting the staffing problem was crucial.
"It makes a difference in the work atmosphere," Connors said. "The prisoners are being taken care of. The prisoners are getting back and forth to the court and the distribution of food, sick calls and recreation."
He said part of the inspection involves looking at documentation of policies and procedures and to look at any written complaints. He said no problem areas arose here either.
Ernie Cook, the sheriff's chief deputy, said the jail housed 272 inmates Thursday and has a capacity of 284. The inmate population rose to as high as 380 prisoners a couple of months ago, but such fluctuations are normal.
"What they [jail inspectors] don't like is permanent overcapacity," Cook said.
The last report of the Trumbull County grand jury, issued in late June, found that the jail did not violate any provisions of law.
"Overall, the jurors were impressed with the organization and control of the facility," the jurors report said. "The only concerns we would raise surround the prisoner-to-guard ratios and overall number of prisoners in the facility."