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Struthers bows out of jail operation
By Sarah Lehr
STRUTHERS
After months of deliberation, Mayor Terry Stocker has decided to shut down the Struthers jail, effective Nov. 1.
He informed The Vindicator on Monday that he has sent a letter regarding the change to the Bureau of Adult Detention, a state oversight and licensing agency under the umbrella of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
Stocker cited liability issues presented by the jail. The cost of renovating the jail to meet minimum regulatory standards outweighs benefits of keeping the facility open, he said.
After being threatened in December 2015 with a federal lawsuit regarding the September 2015 hanging death of an inmate, city officials decided in March to hire a consultant to audit the jail. The city since has reached a $750,000 settlement with the family of the deceased.
Consultant Robert Pace, former director of corrections for the Cuyahoga County jail, released a report last month detailing “consistent disregard” of the state’s minimum regulatory standards at the Struthers jail.
Pace recommended that the city either shutter its jail or spend between $30,000 and $50,000 to meet the state’s requirements for a restricted temporary holding facility. Pace also has said that cost estimate is a low one, indicating necessary improvements may cost significantly more.
At the time of the hanging, the Struthers jail operated a 12-day facility, which is licensed under Ohio standards to hold inmates for up to 12 days at a time.
A 12-day facility faces a more stringent regulatory burden than a temporary holding facility, which is licensed to hold inmates for only up to six hours.
As an interim measure, the mayor announced in May that he would downsize the jail from a 12-day to a restricted temporary holding facility. In the wake of that announcement, the city has been using its jail only to house inmates awaiting appearances in Struthers Municipal Court three days a week.
Effective Nov. 1, however, that practice will cease. Currently, agencies, including the Poland, Lowellville, New Middletown and Springfield police departments, bring suspects to Struthers Municipal Court to face charges.
Outside agencies now will be responsible for monitoring their own suspects when in Struthers City Hall, Stocker said. The mayor is working with Pace, Safety-Service Director Ed Wildes and Police Chief Tim Roddy to solidify security protocol for municipal court days.
Stocker said he did not believe the lack of a jail would affect the volume of cases in Struthers Municipal Court. All arraignments will continue to be in-person at the behest of Struthers Judge James R. Lanzo. Video arraignments are a possibility in the future, however, since Judge Lanzo is expected to retire, the mayor said.
If Struthers police choose to incarcerate suspects after making arrests, officers will transport them to the Mahoning County jail in Youngstown. The county charges cities $80 per day per person for housing inmates facing city charges, rather than state charges or a combination of state and city charges.
Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene could not be reached for comment Monday. The sheriff has said, however, that if Struthers were to shutter its jail, the impact on county operations would be negligible.
The county jail can hold up to 578 inmates at a time, according to state recommendations. In contrast, the Struthers jail can hold up to six. The Campbell jail, which can hold up to four inmates at time, will be the only remaining municipal jail in the county once Struthers bows out.