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Cuyahoga County jail class action overview:
- Who: A woman who spent two days in an Ohio jail without facing charges is suing Cuyahoga County.
- Why: The plaintiff says the county has a pattern of keeping people in jail long after they are meant to be released.
- Where: The Cuyahoga County jail class action was filed in an Ohio federal court.
A Cuyahoga County, Ohio, jail has a practice of keeping people behind bars long after they are meant to be released in order to boost its profits, a new class action lawsuit alleges.
Plaintiff Alanna Dunn filed the class action lawsuit against Cuyahoga County on Feb. 23 in an Ohio federal court, alleging nearly 300 people were kept in jail long after they were supposed to be released, Cleveland.com reports.
The lawsuit reportedly states the county had a practice of keeping people behind bars after judges ordered them released, or after prosecutors declined to pursue charges.
Dunn, a Cleveland woman, alleges she spent two days in jail after Cleveland police and prosecutors decided not to press charges against her.
According to her lawsuit, she is one of at least 289 people “over detained” in 2021 and 2022.
Attorneys for the plaintiff said they believed many more could have been over detained in the jail during that time, because their estimates were only based on Cleveland police officers’ arrests, Cleveland.com reports.
County jail asked for Cleveland inmates in order to generate revenue, lawsuit alleges
Cleveland police started taking fresh arrestees to the county jail instead of the city jail beginning in 2018, as part of a deal with the county, the lawsuit states.
County officials reportedly pushed to house Cleveland’s inmates because they believed it would generate revenue. The county earned $99 per day for each inmate, and cut costs for basic inmate care so it would make a profit.
The lawsuit says people were over detained for up to 56 days in some cases. It adds that, most months, about a dozen people spent time in jail longer than they were supposed to.
According to the complaint, 159 people were kept in the facility longer than they should have been in 2021, and 130 were kept too long in 2022.
“The county’s widespread and systematic over detention of people in its custody results in serious harm,” the lawsuit states.
“Even a single additional night in jail can severely disrupt a person’s life and have lasting destabilizing and traumatic effects.”
In 2022, Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, officials agreed to a settlement to resolve claims that individuals who faced detention for too long in county sheriffs’ jail facilities.
What do you think of the allegations against Cuyahoga County in this case? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Akeeb Dami Animashaun, Drew Legando and Justice Catalyst Law.
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One thought on Ohio county sued for allegedly keeping 300 in jail after they were ordered released
Yes I was kept in jail in Cleveland Ohio for about 30 days after I was arrested I never went to court or was charged at all. I got out because I received a (no bill) form the Grand Jury thankfully. I was refused medical attention many times. I have two crushed lumbars on my spine. they still made me get on a top bunk with out any foot step or ladder. No extra matt and it was terrible.
Also there is one female officer working in all the pods. They were feeding us 1 soft tortilla shell and about a half cup of plain Cheerios with no milk and jelly. At 5:00 in the morning everyday for breakfast. When you ask a staff member to help you resolve issues because you shouldn’t have been there for 30 plus days with no court date and if you looked online there was nothing acknowledging that I’ve even been arrested or where I was. They knew I had to crush lumbars they took x-rays while I was in there but I don’t know why because they didn’t help my case at all they still made me get on the top mattress on the top bunk with no foot peg and no one to help me get up. the food is deplorable it’s dirty they’re running out of clothing for inmates they don’t wash your blankets they don’t wash your sheets they don’t wash your clothes in there. They don’t even give you any hygiene products no deodorant no shampoo no toothbrush no toothpaste nothing they don’t even give you a towel when you get in there. you’re lucky if you could even get to use the phone in there it’s very understaffed very disgusting and I feel very bad for all the people who is wrongfully been accused or even been accused for things that they’ve done to be housed in that facility is one hell of a place to go it’s sort of like prison but way worse you’re not allowed to do anything and they do not care once you’re inside you’re on your own they do not care about you at all anyway shape. The Cuyahoga county jail is unlike any jail I’ve ever even seen on TV it’s really bad people really need to get onto this as soon as possible because there’s going to be many many more victims to come in their spend many many many many many victims that have been forgot about or never heard. I would love to talk to this lawyer on this case there’s a lot of people who are really being traumatized over this and just like it says one day is way too long to be in jail especially if you didn’t do anything wrong but even if you did you’re freedom is everything to you