BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP)
Sheriff's officials plan to meet with Jefferson County commissioners, hoping to fend off more budget cuts for the county jail, which they say is already overcrowded and understaffed.
The Birmingham News reports (http://bit.ly/nuzpEs) that jail officials say hundreds of inmates are sleeping on the floor at the jail, which has about 1,200 inmates. The U.S Department of Justice says its current maximum should be 1,035.
Bessemer attorney Ralph Armstrong sent a letter to Sheriff Mike Hale this month, calling jail conditions a disastrous situation.
He says he and other attorneys are being contacted by inmates and their families bemoaning jail conditions, including the loss of visitation and religious services.
Budget cuts call for another 20 percent be shaved from all Jefferson County departments.
___
No comments:
Post a Comment