Input sought from local judges on Mahoning jail overcrowding

YOUNGSTOWN -- U.S. District Court Judge David Dowd wants Mahoning County judges to suggest ways the common pleas, municipal and county courts can help alleviate overcrowding at the Mahoning County Jail by putting together a plan to allocate jail beds to offenders sentenced to the jail from each court.
Dowd said the court recognizes the sheriff releases some inmates to avoid overcrowding, but there is a growing tendency of some of the judges of some municipal courts to issue 'do-not-release' orders to the sheriff.
In his report, Judge Dowd also requests that the judges provide him with a description of the process for monitoring the allocations and a statement of how the sheriff should resolve conflicts when various courts issue orders that conflict with the agreed upon allocations.
Judge Dowd said the court recognizes that the judges have no obligation to respond to the courts' request, but that "the collective wisdom of the judges in Mahoning County as to a solution would be beneficial to the citizens."
Judge Dowd requests that Judge James C. Evans, as the administrative judge, develop a process to respond to the request by April 7.