Report: 16 violations yet to be resolved at Clark County jail
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction found 16 violations at a recent annual inspection of the Clark County Jail.
Violations include not having an operable toilet and shower for every 12 inmates, a lack of natural light to some cells, no rule prohibiting staff retaliation for inmate grievances, and a holding cell without sanitation facilities being used, according to a letter from ODRC assistant bureau administrator Scott Filicky to Clark County Sheriff Deb Burchett obtained through public records.
Four previous violations — having no written fire safety plan approved by local fire officials, issues with inmate health confidentiality, differences in meals being served and no rule reflecting a process to file a grievance and appeal — were resolved.
“The Bureau encourages jail officials to correct the remaining deficiencies as soon as possible,” the letter stated. “The Clark County Jail will remain a Status Jail until the next inspection or until the remaining corrective action has been completed.”
A status jail is one that does not comply with either some essential jail standards or met less than 90% of important jail standards.
Burchett and Jail Administrator Lt. Robert Trimble did not respond to requests for comment.
The potential of building a new jail has been discussed for years, and a feasibility study is currently being conducted.
Inspections are required at least once a year to determine a jail’s level of compliance with the Minimum Standards for Jails in Ohio, according to the ODRC. Annual inspections start with pre-inspection activities, when a group of minimum standards to be inspected is selected then
discussed, then pre-inspec- tion, inspection and reference materials are developed. At least one training seminar is conducted for local jail offi- cials to explain the process and discuss the minimum standards.
Inspections include several steps, including com- munication of planned activ- ities and a standards compli- ance review. After an inspec- tion is completed there is an exit conference followed by an inspection report and post inspection activities.
According to documents detailing violations, Clark County Jail overcrowding caused there to not be one operable toilet and shower per every 12 inmates. The sheriff ’s office is in conver- sations “to seek approval of a new facility that would pro- vide an” operable shower and toilet for each 12 inmates, according to the documents.
The holding cell without sanitation facilities that was being used was ordered for use only temporarily “until suitable housing can be estab- lished,” according to a doc- ument.
A new facility would also allow the jail to provide one seat for each person in a cell incarcerated, provide all cells access to natural light and meet artificial lighting standards.
According to documents, the jail administrator will change jail policy to make sure it “speaks specifically to fire drills and fire safety training” and staff will provide access to fire safety training records to inspectors — both policies with which the jail was still found in noncompliance. Jail staff said they would also hold fire drills on each shift every 90 days, rather than the once quarterly the jail had been doing before.