On January 22, 2023, Allegheny County Jail still held about 20 teenagers with no plans on releasing them. The phone zap had to happen because there was no awareness of what was going on, and if we dont advocate for them in these situations, theres no one who will. Nicole said jail administrators did not respond to the groups calls, but that individuals inside the jail have told Jailbreak PGH that the vents were no longer blowing cold air, though they said the heat was still not functioning. A referendum passed in spring 2021 limits solitary confinement at the Allegheny County Jail. In May, the lawsuit said, Byrd attempted to kill himself by overdosing on medications three times. Their conditions have worsened and ACJs already high suicide completion and attempt rates have continued to increase. Oh, Christmas Tree. . On October 16th, 2022, an editorial by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette echoed calls for Warden Harper to resign, stating: Mr. On November 2nd, 2022, the Abolitionist Law Center reported that a recent jail inspection on October 26th disclosed that rat droppings were still found in the jail kitchen and food storage area. The lawsuit said that the Allegheny County facility has one of the highest suicide rates for a jail in the country with nine suicides there since 2016. Harper also showed a complete lack of understanding of the difference between allegations prior to a trial versus actual serving a sentence. The report cites continued shortages of staff, inadequate training, punishment of those being held for seeking treatment, and continued use of solitary confinement despite the citizens referendum banning such confinement. In incidents where staff were found to have violated policy, ACJ administration took timely disciplinary action against involved staff who violated policy and held the employees accountable, the report said. The Jail Oversight Board was not informed of the incident prior to his death, as required, and the unresponsive description of course obscures the details of what happened. An advocacy group has filed more than 60. It may continue to be edited to add any future complaints until Harper is removed and conditions in the jail change. Why did it takes days and a letter from those in the jail before officials acted? In November 2020, the jail attempted to remove inmate access to books, reversing its decision only after public outcry. Allegheny County settles jail sex assault lawsuit with former inmate Deuerling was limited in the time she was allowed to hold her infant, he said, and she was not allowed to shower for two days., In May 2019, lawyer Bret Grote wrote about the travesty of the Allegheny County Jail, describing to the Trib: As a civil rights attorney, I have had, . . Complaint Form Allegheny County District Attorney's Office Jurisdiction/venue generally rests in the county where the child(ren) have been residing for the past six months. I dont understand why they dont have no heat at all blowing into the cells, said Mike Kiselka on Feb. 22, who is incarcerated at the jail. The employees union representing staff at the jail then authorized a vote of no confidence against Warden Harper, which was calling for the resignation or removal of Warden Orlando Harper. Its unclear how those competency issues would have been resolved and if Talottas charges would have been dismissed due to his intellectual disability.. , showing further that Harper is aware of the conditions yet continues to downplay and ignore the issues at Jail Oversight Board meetings since the new year. Among the federal claims in the complaint are: failure to provide adequate mental health care; unconstitutional use of solitary confinement; excessive use of force; violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act; violations of due process rights and failure to train. Pod temperatures each time have registered at approximately 74 degrees, he wrote in a Feb. 25 email to PublicSource. Also in August 2021, a report issued by Warden Harper dated for July 2021 on work toward implementing the solitary confinement ban voters approved in the municipal election was called into question by oversight board members. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. was being kept by supervisors to be fed to people held in the jail. , and one person identified as a 26-year old Black Male who has been held in solitary for NEARLY TWO YEARS (684 days at the time of the report). This comes shortly after the Oversight Board meeting where Warden Harper admitted that the jail is not properly staffed with medical staff and that sometimes medications are late to folks being held. Note: this was initially published as part of an Action Network petition in late December 2020, then published on Medium. On December 11th, 2020, 15 former Allegheny County Jail employees spoke out, describing impossible workloads, insufficient staffing, being directed to do tasks that they worried threatened their medical licenses and management they denounced as hostile and underqualified.. and that he was left laying unresponsive on the floor of his cell for more than an hour during a medical emergency late last year. Folks report suffering anxiety and mental health issues due to experiencing the 23-and-1 torture policy, long after getting out of jail. Those included two psychiatrists, four mental health registered nurses, seven licensed practice nurses and 14 registered nurses. Officials especially on the Jail Oversight Board continue to express their frustration with how non-transparent Warden Harper continues to be. Plum man pulled gun on 2 council members, candidate at Republican A 2016 study showed that up to 81% of all people held in the jail have not been found guilty of a crime and are only held because of lack of funds to pay cash bail a ransom, really. On January 14th, 2022, Warden Harper held a rushed press conference to deny allegations of the complaints from the 11th. The lack of care, the complaint said, leads to psychological pain, decompensation, increased disciplinary infractions, excessive use of force and an elevated risk of self-harm. From the article: Patients are ignored unless they express suicidal ideation, and if they do express such thoughts, they are mocked., At the March 2, 2023, Jail Oversight Board meeting, numerous issues were again raised, including concerns about changes to healthcare staffing that were not reported to the board. , supposedly due to Covid, despite peoples referendum against solitary confinement. Also in March 2021, PublicSource requested documentation on the jails internal policies and received heavily redacted versions. It was marked valid by a correctional officer on Jan. 12. Allegheny County Jail Castaphany has been in the jail since May 2019 and has anxiety, depression and PTSD. On May 30, 2022, the jail staff union president posted on Twitter that Summit Foods was not fulfilling its contract for food service in the jail, leaving him to purchase pizza for the officers. 950 Second Avenue They all confirm the reflexive, unconstitutional use of excessive force and routine denial of care, she said. The county says there is no issue with the heat and that maintenance issues are quickly addressed. On July 19th, 2022, County Councilmember and Jail Oversight Board member Bethany Hallam pointed out Warden Harpers misleading statistics that dramatically understated the death rate at the jail. A 2016 study showed that up to 81% of all people held in the jail have not been found guilty of a crime and are only held because of lack of funds to pay cash bail a ransom, really. Due to the severe staffing shortages and lack of appropriate training, rather than provide any meaningful counseling, mental health staff simply make rounds during which they only ask patients how they are doing and whether they want to hurt themselves, the complaint said. The lack of mental health care at the jail results in the repeated use of brutal force against inmates there, according to the court filing. A new heating system for the facility is on the horizon. The first photo allegedly shows frozen blood in the ground meat being served. Jailbreak PGH, a grassroots group that advocates for people inside the jail, heard in early February from over 10 people at the facility that the vents inside the cells were blowing cold air, according to Nicole, a member who asked that her last name be withheld for privacy concerns. On March 14, 2022, the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism released a three part series about the jail. In February, Cohen tried to create a noose from her shirt to hang herself. In July, the Post-Gazette called for Mr. Harpers resignation, as have the employees union and many members of the public.. The Allegheny County Jail, too, the lawsuit continued, had the highest number of Taser and stun gun use nearly five times that of the second highest county. Allegheny County Jail is seen from Mt. From slots to mills, big property owners aim for smaller property tax bills, Updated: Pittsburgh housing execs pledge Section 8 service improvements this year, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. The report also recommended that a nurse at the jail should conduct a thorough assessment of those entering the facility and be trained to recognize abnormal vital signs, evidence of detoxing and a history of suicide attempts. On April 29, 2022, it was reported that Jerry Lee Ross, Jr., had died after being detained in the Allegheny County Jail, now the 14th death at the jail since early 2020. On March 7th, 2022, it was widely reported that another person, a man in his 20s, later identified as Gerald Thomas, had, . It is unclear at this time if those held in the jail received the required food and nutrition since the food service was not happening. On June 10, 2022, Pittsburgh City-Paper reported on a new lawsuit alleging brutal treatment of people with psychiatric disabilities in the jail. However, follow-ups with the complainants showed that the jail had sent police to intimidate the complainers, and interviewed them under duress without the presence of lawyers or informing complainants of their rights. In July, the Post-Gazette called for Mr. Harpers resignation, as have the employees union and many members of the public.. Some details about the man who died, 74-year old Roger Millspaugh, were, On January 6th, 2022, the first Jail Oversight Board meeting of the new year saw Warden Harper admitting that, that passed in May 2021 with 70% of the countys voters in support. endobj Room 303 Courthouse436 Grant StreetPittsburgh, PA 15219, 2023 Allegheny County District Attorney | Website Design by GovUnity, Contact Us | Directions | Disclaimer | Accessibility | Sitemap. Such allegations are not new, sadly. Warden Harper and Deputy Warden Williams appear to have known about this use of the chairs. . Hansen notes that the use of force and solitary confinement in the jail is against national standards and protocols. had his medical license suspended, revoked or denied in at least eight different states. Even though Mr. Castaphany complied, he was tased before he could get on the ground, the complaint said. According to a tweet from Bethany Hallam, county council member and jail oversight board member, ACJ has had 13 deaths since the beginning of Covid up to the time of this writing. They also allege that jail medical staff admitted not knowing how to provide care for LGBTQ+ folks. While the public press release is from February 2023, it refers to a memo with survey results that was sent to Warden Harper in December 2022, showing further that Harper is aware of the conditions yet continues to downplay and ignore the issues at Jail Oversight Board meetings since the new year. PLUM, Pa. (KDKA) - A Plum Borough man who previously ran for a seat on Allegheny County Council is in jail and facing nearly a dozen charges. Paula Reed Ward is a Tribune-Review staff writer. On March 9, 2023, PA Spotlight reported the story of a womans fight to get out of ACJ after courts tried to keep her there for mental health reasons, despite knowing ACJ is not a place for treating mental health. County officials should furthermore consider how to better make use of the jails $80+ million budget by redirecting some of that funding to social services like healthcare and mental health care. On Jan. 13, Richard Arrington, who was incarcerated at the jail, said he was wearing two T-shirts, a thermal shirt and his uniform. Al Caponi, the countys director of facilities management, said each time the department has received a complaint about temperatures in the jail, it has taken readings on all levels.