43
Struthers judge hopes to improve city hall safety with new prisoner holding area
STRUTHERS
On a given day, the narrow hallways adjacent to Struthers Municipal Court may simultaneously hold city employees, elderly residents paying water bills and violent criminals, all within arm’s reach.
Struthers Judge Dominic Leone hopes to change that dynamic by converting a portion of city hall into a holding area for female inmates.
“Because of our growing probation department – right now we have around 400 active people coming in every month for probation outside of normal court hours – we’re facing a lack of space to meet with these individuals,” Judge Leone said. “What goes along with a lack of space is a lack of security and a lack of privacy.”
Individuals on probation currently meet with legal counsel, social workers and medical professionals in the clerk’s office and adjacent hallway outside the courtroom. This means that sensitive information – such as mental and physical health records – are discussed essentially in the open.
In addition to privacy issues, Judge Leone also is concerned with the safety of city hall employees and the public who often share those halls with probationers.
“Some of those people coming in are violent offenders or individuals with severe mental-health issues. It’s just not a secure environment right now,” Judge Leone said.
Struthers Municipal Court serves Struthers, Poland village and township, Lowellville, Springfield and New Middletown.
The court has a temporary holding cell for men, but protocols from the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office – which handles prisoners awaiting court hearings – require that women and men be transported and held separately.
“Because we don’t have a female holding area, the sheriffs have started keeping the female prisoners in the hallway, and for some reason we’ve had more women than men coming in,” Judge Leone said.
“The sheriffs are actually where the idea to convert a room into a temporary holding cell came from.”
Judge Leone suggested to the city council’s finance and legislation committee that it allow the court to build a cubicle wall and bolt a bench into the floor of the city’s janitor’s office to be used as a holding area. He said the court would pay for the project from its probationary fund.
Robert Burnside, 3rd Ward councilman, said city leaders support Judge Leone’s plan.
“I think the administration is on board, and I know that council is on board to provide him with what he needs,” Burnside said. “Right now it’s just an issue of crossing t’s and dotting i’s.”
Leone said the city administration had previously worked with the court to improve security at city hall, and that he was confident it would do so again with the court expansion.