Family only discovered this by requesting medical records from the jail and hospital. Last updated: March 17, 2023. On Jan. 13, Richard Arrington, who was incarcerated at the jail, said he was wearing two T-shirts, a thermal shirt and his uniform. (Attachments: # 1 Civil Cover Sheet, # 2 Exhibit 1 . The lawsuit contends the lack of care begins at intake and that there is no individual counseling or trauma therapy available. Lawyers allege he has not received needed hormone therapy and care for recent surgery wounds. A group of inmates at the Allegheny County Jail have filed a federal lawsuit alleging a gross failure to care for their mental health, citing an environment in which staff belittle, abuse and mock them. Officials especially on the Jail Oversight Board continue to express their frustration with how non-transparent Warden Harper continues to be. that should have been banned, ridiculously claiming that the weapons were already purchased before the ban went into effect and therefore he was allowed to use them. The statistics show large numbers of people held in solitary for days and weeks, 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). A January 5, 2023, Jail Oversight Board meeting discussed the jail inspection report and revealed that school, bringing questions of privacy and humiliation of those being held at the jail. 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. 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. Grievances are brought to the attention of the Health Care Services Department through correctional staff designated to receive complaints. They are severely understaffed, the suit says, and the administration has failed to properly train the staff they do have. As of February 6th, 2022, the Allegheny County Jail is still keeping folks held in lockdown, supposedly due to Covid, despite people's referendum against solitary confinement. On February 27, 2023, lawyers in a federal lawsuit against the jail stated that, . <> These repeated allegations must be taken seriously to ensure international human rights are respected and real change actually takes place at the jail. There is an urgent need to reduce the population for safety during COVID-19, but even beyond the pandemic we must reduce the jail population. During the 10 months Joshua Reber worked as an Allegheny County Jail guard on female pod 4D in 2015, he sexually assaulted at least three inmates in second-floor, off-camera cells, according to the former inmates' lawsuits. Pod temperatures each time have registered at approximately 74 degrees, he wrote in a Feb. 25 email to PublicSource. without attempting to first contact or consult them. I was in there freezing. Recently, when his requests to speak with someone from mental health continued to be ignored, he told medical staff that he was feeling suicidal. Jail staff raised concerns about Talottas medical treatment at the jail and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The report continues: Talottas intellectual disability may have prevented him from participating in and understanding his own defense and trial. With the. They all confirm the reflexive, unconstitutional use of excessive force and routine denial of care, she said. Hansen notes that the use of force and solitary confinement in the jail is against national standards and protocols. one woman held while pregnant who was forced to give birth in the jail, an intimate view of the atrocities that make up daily life in the Allegheny County Jail, how the jail was using the Inmate Welfare Fund, the jail was profiting from a new phone contract, the jails commissary contract was intentionally providing inadequate meals, inadequate treatment and dehumanizing and unlawful conditions, inadequate mental health care and treatment, couldnt retain medical staff and ultimately quit, lawsuit was filed against the jail on behalf of 3 people with disabilities who faced brutality, some baloney in some applesauce with a small 1oz bag of teddy grahams, a continued lack of communication and transparency, torture at the jail by excessive and punitive use of restraint chairs, The warden needs to be addressed. An advocacy group has filed more than 60. Also in July 2021, questions arose about the death of a man held in the jail. On December 22nd, 2021, the jail reported to oversight yet another death, the 6th in 2021. Please, Note: this was initially published as part of an. The Jail Oversight Board meeting that same day showed that those being held in the jail were not receiving commisary stipends previously approved, those held in the mental health wing were not receiving recreation time, and that the jail was still holding people in solitary confinement for weeks despite a citizen referendum that made the practice basically illegal. , 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. 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. Harper is not the man for the job. Eric Phillip Casteel, 62, was arrested at his Plum home Thursday and charged with three misdemeanor counts each of endangering another person, terroristic threats and simple assault. Complaints; Resources; Frequently Asked Questions; On Election Day; Board of Elections; . Its unclear how those competency issues would have been resolved and if Talottas charges would have been dismissed due to his intellectual disability.. The jail is also consolidating folks held into a smaller number of pods rather than expanding to keep better distancing for Covid. The lawsuit alleges that the jails policies under Warden Harper do not properly treat folks suffering from mental health issues and suicidal depression, leading directly to Buceks death. Warden Harper and Deputy Warden Williams appear to have known about this use of the chairs. Programs offered to juveniles in Allegheny County Jail. The team also analyzed the circumstances around the 27 deaths and how they were reviewed afterward. Jail staff raised concerns about Talottas medical treatment at the jail and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The report continues: Talottas intellectual disability may have prevented him from participating in and understanding his own defense and trial. After mental health staff and correctional officers ignored his repeated requests for treatment, and an officer actually encouraged him to commit suicide, Mr. Howard felt that the only course of action to get help was to kill himself. There is an urgent need to reduce the population for safety during COVID-19, but even beyond the pandemic we must reduce the jail population. due to experiencing the 23-and-1 torture policy, long after getting out of jail. This included one story of a woman who was left handcuffed to a table for hours; Harper called this recreation time because she was technically out of her cell, even though it clearly violates the spirit of the referendum. Its sad. These allegations show not just a one-off mistake or accident, but a pattern of behavior at the jail that has repeatedly and for years gone without urgent corrective action. Jaquan Steadman, 24, is charged with fleeing, evading arrest, and multiple counts each of gun, drug possession and driving charges after Pittsburgh police say he fled a traffic stop. Among them, it said people identified with poorly controlled chronic conditions should be treated within seven days of incarceration, and medical providers should adopt evidence-based clinical protocols in their treatment. 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. Another caller complained about being unnecessarily quarantined after testing negative for Covid. Long wait times for healthcare and generally understaffed with overworked staff. There were also concerns that the jail was violating a voter referendum that had banned solitary confinement by the repeated, On January 18, 2023, it was reported that Denzelle Kendrick was, by the jail and suddenly taken off several medications theyve been on since birth without explanation. Zc2' H"HCTa 00(bD@u]3~ _}w-`56s$M97l7[Q[vA9UIoin!Pu71Iy%nOe~MOF M/Uf pRj0^wwBf\dszX$-lJWFh _ WP*m{FHSA0'@ TiCh qgzZ&Q0P8Au'I:x'o3Iuwpn5c3UE1Bz p*gKa:|, from the jail administration resulting in joining calls for Harper to be fired, stating Whether Warden Orlando Harper was lying or simply didnt know better when he reported a false mortality rate for the Allegheny County Jail doesnt much matter. Replacing the Warden and deputy wardens should be a first step to further jail and criminal court system reform, such as ending cash bail and sending non-violent offenders home, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that puts all in the jail at risk. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. On March 2nd, 2022, at an Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board meeting, Warden Harper made excuses about those being held not receiving their needed medication. She has been at the jail since January. An expert report from Dr Terry A. Kupers found that , , evidenced by repeated and widespread occurrences of failure to provide adequate and appropriate care as well as the meting of punishments in place of treatment for serious mental health conditions.. 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, . Folks report suffering. On April 10, 2022, the jail workers union was reported as having asked jail administration for. She can be reached at juliette@publicsource.org or on Twitter @JulietteRihl. He has also been placed in the restraint chair repeatedly, including once for 28 hours. Police Notified 3. The plaintiffs include five people who are current residents of the jail who have been subjected to solitary confinement, OC spray, tasing, restraint chair and physical assault. Surprise inspections led by two Jail Oversight Board members raise new. On March 28, 2022, it was reported that the jail is, alleging that their failure to treat a wound on his heel while he was incarcerated there led to him having his right leg amputated below the knee., On March 31, 2022, during a live interview in which Warden Harper was defending against accusations of improper staffing and medical treatment at the jail, callers called in saying they too. With the Shuman Center closed, the county argues theres no place to put them but the jail but lack of a plan isnt an acceptable answer in the interest of justice. In August 2020, it was also made publicly known that. In January 2021, several Jail Oversight Board members expressed frustration that they learned more about the jail from journalists than the Warden and administration, showing a continued lack of communication and transparency. 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. After that, it continued, as Castaphany was being moved to solitary confinement, he asked for mental health care and was told that he could only be seen if he was suicidal. , despite knowing ACJ is not a place for treating mental health. . There are about 20 teenagers, ages 13 to 17, behind bars at the jail. In July, the Post-Gazette called for Mr. Harpers resignation, as have the employees union and many members of the public.. The complaint alleges that force is regularly used without pursuing any other alternative, even when the person presents no risk to self or others. As of Tuesday, there were 1,663 people incarcerated at Allegheny County Jail, according to the county's jail dashboard. in order to boost more sales of overpriced commissary snacks, to which a 30% commission on sales was being given to the county, presumably going to the jail. 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. A separate energy plant in the County Office Building will supply the jails hot water. Details were not immediately released to the public. z^?x /?",B?~<>'?x? Why did it takes days and a letter from those in the jail before officials acted? I furthermore call on Allegheny County elected officials to take immediate action to remove the warden and deputy wardens if they refuse to resign. At the March 2, 2023, Jail Oversight Board meeting, on the jail filed February 16, 2023, include a report from expert Brad Hansen (a warden with 42 years of experience) who found ", " found "systemic and gross deficiencies which should have been obvious to any jail administrator." As far as the temperatures in the cell blocks, I walk the cell block frequently, and it is very comfortable in the cell block. stream A new heating system for the facility is on the horizon. No details were given by the jail. . The lawsuit alleges that on Jan. 8 there was a fight on his pod which Castaphany was not involved in. endobj Some members of the Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board and other community members worry the jail could be in violation of a voter-approved referendum banning the use of solitary . On June 2, 2022, the Abolitionist Law Center held a rally outside of the Jail Oversight Board monthly meeting to ask Are we running a jail or a cemetery? The Jail has so far refused details about the deaths that have occurred in the jail and families are demanding answers. However, follow-ups with the complainants showed that. Part One gives known details of the thirteen people that have died in the jail. 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. Over 60 judicial misconduct complaints filed against Judge Anthony Mariani as ALC releases report detailing Mariani's abusive, racist behavior and roles of Pittsburgh policing, probation, and punishment systems in death of Gerald Thomas CONTACT: Dolly Prabhu, ALC Staff Attorney, dprabhu@alcenter.org According to one person, , . Deputy Warden Williams was also alleged to refuse to wear protective equipment while meeting with those held in the jail, and refusing to take action on their COVID concerns. Anthony Talotta, 57, is the sixth person to die in the jail in 2022. , including shortages of medical staff. , and interviewed them under duress without the presence of lawyers or informing complainants of their rights. describes the lack of transparency and oversight in the jail. . Thats not food, commented at least one person on Twitter. The intending party should schedule a visit at least two to seven days prior. This relationship needs to be addressed immediately.. , that is a huge red flag about the problems existing at the jail. The jail did not immediately respond other than to say the person could file a grievance. They are breeding mental illness. and I feel this place is designed to break your mental health. Comments on healthcare included long wait times and improper care, including It takes medical weeks to see you even when they know you have severe conditions., On September 23rd, 2022, Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism reported that, . When local newspapers call on the jail to follow the existing law, that is a huge red flag about the problems existing at the jail. The lawsuit alleges that more than half of his time in the jail has been spent in solitary confinement.