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| Ohio Inmates' Suit Settled |
| By The Cincinnati Post |
| Published: 01/30/2006 |
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An Ohio federal judge approved a settlement of a lawsuit last week that was filed on behalf of 27 inmates at the Campbell County Detention Center who say they had been mistreated due to overcrowding there. "We're happy," said Campbell County Judge-Executive Steve Pendery. "We're ready to put this behind us and move on." Judge William O. Bertelsman, in U.S. District Court in Covington, approved the settlement. The inmates, represented by Cincinnati attorney Robert Newman, said overcrowding at the jail was harming their health and violating their constitutional rights. The lawsuit states inmate population has recently been as high as 276 - double the recommended 135-person capacity. As part of the settlement, the county agreed to add additional beds in space vacated because of new kitchen and laundry rooms, secure additional beds in other county jails nearby if capacity exceeds 220 inmates for more than seven days, and appoint a pre-trial officer to help control the number of inmates at the jail. The county is preparing for an expansion that will add 265 beds, but still is looking for ways to finance the project. Newman still has three other federal lawsuits pending against Campbell County over its jail. They claim various abuses of inmates, including the charge of a $20 booking fee when inmates enter the jail, the use of collective discipline in response to misbehavior by individual inmates, and the jail's withholding of commissary money to pay for inmates' court costs. |
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