As the sickening saga of the Cuyahoga County Jail continues, one thing is being overlooked: It’s so damn easy to run a jail the right way. It really, really is, since it’s a closed, controlled environment. In fact, it takes a real concerted effort on the part of many people to run one in the horrible manner in which our local lockup has been operated.
With that said, here’s one of the universal realities of incarceration: Whenever anyone is detained, anywhere in the world, there are going to be complaints, simply because someone is — rightly or wrongly — being deprived of their liberty. Some individuals could be locked up Buckingham Palace and served the best food the chef had to offer, sleeping in plush queen-sized beds at night and watching whatever they wanted (including porn) on big screen TVs, and they still would be bitching, moaning and complaining — simply because they are being held against their will.
Naturally, jailers across the country (and the world) know this all too well because they have to deal with complaints of all varieties and types from those incarcerated on a daily — and sometimes hourly — basis. And yes, some of the complaints are specious, while others are spurious, and others yet are flat-out goddamn lies. Over time, this can cause those who hold the keys to gradually begin to treat all complaints, even legitimate ones, as if they are simply some shit being made up by a detainee.
But that’s where professional management comes in. There have to be people in the chain of command that have the power, wisdom and practical experience (particularly the experience) to evaluate claims, judge their validity and take appropriate action if any is needed, and this must be done on an ongoing basis. Yes, even if it’s sometimes a pain the ass; but that’s what jailers get paid to do.
However, that kind of evaluation and judgment fell apart here in Cuyahoga County. A prime example is the foul-smelling food trays. If only one detainee complained about them it would be somewhat understandable if nothing was done. But virtually every detainee complained about them, which should have added validity to the charge, but it didn’t — still no one listened or cared.
And here’s where it gets uglier. Once it was determined that the trays indeed were contaminated, the administration bought a thousand replacement trays, knowing that the population is over two thousand. So even when those in charge of the jail admit there’s a problem, they only want to address it with a partial solution.
Trays are about ten bucks each. The fact that only half as many that are needed was purchased speaks volumes about the attitude of those in charge. This proves that everyone in the chain of command at the Cuyahoga County Jail needs to go, and the sooner the better.
From CoolCleveland correspondent Mansfield B. Frazier mansfieldfATgmail.com. Frazier’s From Behind The Wall: Commentary on Crime, Punishment, Race and the Underclass by a Prison Inmate is available in hardback. Snag your copy and have it signed by the author at http://NeighborhoodSolutionsInc.