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ACLU of Ohio Demands Department of Justice Investigate Deaths at Butler County Jail (4/10/2007)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: media@aclu.org
19-Year-Old's Suicide is Fourth in Less Than a Year
HAMILTON, OH
- The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio today sent a letter to the U.S.
Department of Justice and Butler County Commissioners urging them to launch an
immediate and thorough investigation into a string of suicides at the Butler
County Jail. On Sunday, Timothy James Hughes, 19, was found dead in his cell
after committing suicide, making him the fourth inmate at Butler County Jail to
die in similar circumstances in under a year.
“When even one inmate
dies while in the care of the state, it is an indicator that they are not
properly supervised,” said Carrie Davis, ACLU of Ohio Staff Counsel. “Four
inmates dying in such a small timeframe is almost unthinkable. The urgency of
this situation warrants the DOJ to take immediate steps to investigate all
aspects of procedures, practices and staffing at the jail,” she added.
“The DOJ and the county must take direct action before another inmate loses his
or her life."
In addition to the letter to the DOJ and Butler
County Commissioners, the ACLU of Ohio is also requesting information from the
county regarding the practices and policies of the jail. Such items may include
how often guards check prisoners, the ratio of staff to inmates and protocols
for guards to ensure the safety of inmates.
In June 2006,
the ACLU of Ohio requested records from the Butler County Coroner following the
deaths that year of Elmer Eli Tucker, 38, on June 17 and Delbert Osbourne, Jr.,
19, on June 22. Both men committed suicide by hanging themselves in their jail
cells.
Thomas Raymond Brotherton, 49, was the next inmate found
hanging in his cell at 12:15 a.m. on March 31. Less than two weeks later,, news
of the fourth inmate, Timothy James Hughes, became public.
"Four
people losing their lives while in the government’s care is simply
unacceptable,” Davis said. “Butler County officials and the DOJ must take
a long, hard look at the conditions within the jail, the amount of care and
supervision each inmate receives and the practices and procedures the jail
employs to ensure safety for those incarcerated. Something is terribly wrong and
must be changed before another person needlessly dies."
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