Judge wants information about operation of jail

The judge also wants information on the training of corrections officers.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The federal judge overseeing the Mahoning County jail has questions about the sheriff's operating budget, staffing and available beds.
In a four-page order filed Wednesday in Akron federal court, U.S. District Judge David D. Dowd Jr. requested these items by April 7 from Sheriff Randall A. Wellington:
This year's budget for the operation of the jail. The budget must reflect various expenditures, such as corrections officers, other staff by category, medical and other programs, services, maintenance, utilities and other line items.
The number of staff employed in connection with the operation of the jail.
The total number of beds available in booking, medical and north tower and south tower by housing unit. The response must identify the type of inmates confined -- juvenile, women, men and security status.
The total number of prisoners assigned to each housing unit.
The total expenses incurred by the sheriff's department for operation of the jail for January and February.
The cost for 2006 to operate in-service training (40 hours) of all corrections officers and the cost of pre-service training (136 hours) of newly hired corrections officers. Also, the cost to operate booking, medical and housing pods.
The number of corrections officers and other staff to operate the jail based on number of pods open.
For the period of June 1, 2005, to the present, identify by date for each inmate sentenced in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, the date the sheriff received notice to convey the inmate to a prison and the date the inmate was conveyed.
Class-action lawsuit
Judge Dowd, through a special master/fact-finder, is overseeing the remedial stage of a successful class-action inmates' lawsuit. The judge determined in March 2005 that the jail operation was not constitutionally sound.
Since then, a criminal justice working group has been trying to come up with solutions to that problem. The group's final report was due at the end of December 2005, but the deadline has been extended several times. The final report is now due May 1.