CLEVELAND (AP) — State officials say they no longer need to conduct monthly inspections at a troubled county jail in Cleveland, citing significantly improved operations.
Gov. Mike DeWine had ordered the inspections of the Cuyahoga County Jail in June 2019, following several inmate deaths and concerns about abuse and mismanagement. The jail also became the subject of dozens of lawsuits that accused the county of poor leadership.
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections noted this week that after 16 months of increased scrutiny, the county jail complies with all state standards except for seven. In 2018 state inspectors found the jail out of compliance with 84.
“From our discussions with the jail administrators, we feel confident that this progress will continue, and therefore, the jail has returned to a normal annual inspection follow-up cycle,” ODRC spokeswoman JoEllen Smith told Cleveland.com.
Agency inspectors were at the jail last week, and the next in-person inspection is scheduled for December, Smith said. After that, the jail will get one inspection per year, like all other jails in the state.