As conversation around broken policing has reached a deafening roar around the country, with much of the violence at demonstrations appearing to be driven by heavily militarized officers, the discussion about Cuyahoga County’s broken jail goes on.
On Friday May 29, a day prior to the big demonstration organized by Black Lives Matter Cleveland, protesters appeared at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center demanding that act on requests for hearings on nearly 200 judicial release motions filed in Cuyahoga County since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The protest was part of an ongoing series of actions by The Coalition to Stop the Inhumanity at the Cuyahoga County Jail.
“In cases where judicial release has been granted, incarcerated people have been freed the same day,” says the Coalition press release. “But very few motions have been granted a hearing.”
With more prison deaths from COVID-19 than any other state, the activists say that timely action is imperative to avoid putting lives at risk.
In addition to the timely processing inmates for release, the group focuses on bal reform and ongoing advocacy for more humane conditions in the jail, ranging from adequate food and medical attention, to respecting inmates’ right to a phone call, to things as basic as clean conditions — removing feces and moldy trays.
To learn more or to join their efforts, go to facebook.com/JailCoalition.