Judge OKs Mahoning County Jail settlement

AKRON — A panel of three federal judges has approved a consent judgment entry ending a 3 1/2-year-old class-action lawsuit by Mahoning County Jail inmates.

The federal court and the inmates’ lawyers, however, will monitor jail conditions for three more years. The entry was earlier signed by the inmates’ lawyers and Mahoning County and city of Youngstown officials.

In March 2005, the inmates won their lawsuit against the county, which alleged that overcrowded jail conditions violated their constitutional rights. The federal court has been overseeing the jail ever since.

Included in the settlement entry are requirements concerning jail staffing and improvement of jail conditions, reopening of all jail facilities by Aug. 1, an allotment of jail beds for Youngstown city prisoners, and an emergency prisoner-release policy to prevent future overcrowding.

For the complete story, see Friday's Vindicator and Vindy.com.