Newspaper Page Text
Overcrowding At Jail
Corrected-McConnell
Overcrowded conditions at
the Chattooga County Jail |
have been corrected, gheriff |
Garfi' McConnell said this I
week.
Inmates had complained |
about the conditions in a letter |
to U. S. District Court Judge |
Harold Murphy, who forward- |
ed the document to Todd |
Johnson, supervising attorney |
for the Georgia Mountains
Regional Office, Georgia Legal
Services, Dalton. That off%ce i
supervises compliance with a |
1984 jail court order signed by |
Judge Murphy. 5
VISITED JAIL ‘
Johnson visited the jail on |
Jan. 15 and talked with in- |
mates and Lewis Wilson, jail ‘
administrator, according to a |
Jan. 20 letter from Johnson to |
McConnell. 7
Johnson said inmates told |
him about crowded conditions
which forced some to sleep on |
mattresses on the floor and in |
holding cells. He described the |
conditions as ‘‘severe viola- |
tions”” of Murphey's court |
order. ;
Lack of outdoor recreation |
time was another inmate com- |
plaint reviewed by Johnson |
during his visit. The Legal Ser- |
vices attorney said outdoor |
recreation time was ‘‘severely |
limited because of the jail's |
refusal to supply them
(prisoners) wit,fi adequate
jackets."
COMPLAINTS
Complaints about meals
were discussed by Johnson in
his letter (see related stories) to
McConnell, along with a pro
blem concerning the wooden
leg of a prisoner.
Sheri?f McConnell respond
ed to Johnson late last week,
saying the overcrowded condi
tions resulted from his efforts
to help Dade County house its
prisoners. ‘‘However, since
your letter, I have got our jail
back in compliance as far as
overcrowding . . . In the future,
I can assure you there will be
no one sleeping on the floor in
the cell block area.”
The sheriff said he agreed
with Johnson ‘reluctantly” |
concerning outdoor recreation
for the inmates, adding, “'I
have a very hard time getting
funds from the county commis
gioner. But, .1 will “do
everything in my power to cor
rect this problem.”
McConnell also told
Johnson he had no control over
the quality or quantity of jail |
meals, appointment of at
torneys or bail bond services in
the county. The sheriff also
said the prisoner mentioned by
Johnson had been un
cooperative with the jail staff |
andpmedical ersonnel regar- |
ding his woofen leg. ;
JOHNSON LETTER fi
Johnson's letter follows in |
full:
Dear Sheriff McConnell:
I received a letter forward
ed from Judge Murphey the
other day concerning various
inmate grievances at the Chat- |
tooga County jail. I went to the |
jail last Thursday and spoke
with some of the inmates and |
the administrator concerning |
some of the problems. 1
In my discussions with Mr. {
Farrar and in reviewing the |
consent order, it is my impres- |
sion that the jail is still bound |
by the terms of the consent
order except inasmuch as that
some of the reporting re- |
quirements may be waived. |
You may have mixed feelings }
about this, but I did want to
bring this to your attention, as
it seemed to be your impres
sion that the jail would be out ‘
from under the consent order in |
January. . i
Concerns the inmates |
brought up to me include the |
following: |
BY JAIL PRISONERS
Bigger Meals Sought
from front page
a Jan. 20 letter to Sheriff
McConnell he had visited the
jail on Jan. 15 and received
complaints from inmates about
the quantity of the meals. He
wrote:
“Inmates have complained
to me concerning the amount
of the meals they are furnish
ed. and although I realize this
is often a subjective matter
which is thought about more
often with people with more
time to think about it, after
seeing the dinners on the night
I was there, I can understand
that the inmates who have
larger appetites might not
have been filled (I have re
quested inmates who have pro
blems with the food to make
some quantitative estimation
of each meal so that they might
have an idea what they are get
ting, and because it is difficult
to estimate if a meal is
‘minimum’ or unacceptable.
The practice of the jail to pro
vide meat on a number of occa
sions is laudable and I mention
this merely as an effort to con
(a) Overcrowding of the
facility which requires inmates
to sleep on thsqfloor on mat
tresses and holding cells, which
results in a mixture of misde
meanants and felons, inmates
sleeping on floors, holding cells
having more than the required
number of peogle. and in
general, severe violations of the
consent order;
(b) Related to the over
crowding in the jail may be the
bonding practices and appoint
ment practices presentg' used
in Chattooga County. My
understanding from speakin
with the jail agmim’strator ang
the inmates is that no bonding
agency exists in Chattooga
County, and the ability of tfie
inmates to make bond is quite
severely limited because of
that. Although this is not a
violation of tl%e consent order,
it certainly does contribute to
the overcrowded nature of the
facility at this point;
(c) Inmates claim that they
have been restricted to the in
side except for three periods of
outdoor recreation in the last
two months, and they say that
the ability to exercise outdoors
is severe{y limited because of
the jail's refusal to supply
them with adequate 'acflets
(my interpretation of t]he con
sent order is that whatever is
required to sustain an outdoor
recreation Erogram or recrea
tion in the form that is
available should be done to
allow recreation in the amount
specified in the consent order);
(d) Inmates have complain
ed to me concerning the
amount of the meals they are
furnished, and although I
realize this is often a subjective
matter which is thought about
more often with people with
more time to think about it,
after seeing the dinners on the
night I was there, I can unders
tand that the inmates who
have a larger appetite might
not have been fified (I have re
quested inmates who have pro
blems with the food to make
some quantative estimation of
each meal so that they might
have an idea what they are get
ting, and because it is difficult
to estimate if a meal is
“minimum’’ or unacceptable.
The practice of the jail to pro
vide meat on a number of occa
sions is laudable and I mention
this merely as an effort to con
vey some of the inmate
concerns);
(e) William Jones has receiv
ed a new leg which is impropér
ly fitted, and has requested
that the jail allow him to have
a fitting session so that he
might use the new leg (I
understand that the jail has
allowed the new leg to {)e ship
ped and has cooperated in
some manners in his getting it,
but it is of no use to Mr. Jones
unless it can be properly
shaped), and I request on
behalf of Mr. Jones that the jail
provide him with whatever
such procedures that are
necessary;
Thank you for reviewing
these problems. Please get in
touch with me about the over
crowding issue and other solu
tions you may see possible to
bring the facility back into
compliance. I look forward to
working with your staff in 1987
to make the Chattooga Coun
ty jail a facility in which Nor
thwest Georgia can be proud.
Best regards,
Todd Johnson
Attorney at Law
McCONNELL’S RESPONSE
Sheriff McConnell's
response follows in full:
Dear Mr. Johnson:
In reference to your letter of
Jan. 20, 1987 concerning the
above styled matter. I will try
to answer each section as you
have it outlined.
Section A, concerning over
crowding and the mixing of
vey some of the inmate con- |
cerns).”
I don't feel like they have
a valid complaint,” saici, Tom
my Brooks of Jim's Drive-In. |
“Ts there is any dissatisfaction |
by the sheriff, the commis- |
sioner or Jim Pinion, we would |
stop serving the meals at such |
time. I know what's on them |
(the plates) everyday and I |
know they're sufficient.” }
Brooks said the meals are |
inspected at random and the |
menus are sent to the Legal
Services office at Dalton each |
week. He invited The News to |
insiect the meals at any time |
without notice. i
Wilson said Johnson looked |
at a meal when he visited in- |
mates last Jan. 15 and didn't |
indicate any concern about the |
quantity or quality at that |
time. 1
“They're as iOOd here as |
they are anywhere in the |
state,” said Wilson. He had |
special praise for the breakfast |
meal, sayin%l “it's a better 1
breakfast than we at the
sheriff's office get at home.” '
felony and misdemeanor in- |
mates in the Chattooga Coun- |
ty Jail. I have been attempting
to assist Dade County, their |
jail has been closed under a
court order, by housing their
inmates. No other f%cility ;
would take these inmates, at |
all. However, since your letter, |
I have got our jail back in com- |
pliance, as far as overcrowding |
and I am attempting to solve |
the segregation problem. In the
future I can assure you there
will be no one sleeping on the
floor in the cell block area.
Section B, each day by |
10:00 a.m. a copy of the Jail
Bopulation is delivered to the |
istrict Attorney's office, the |
Clerk of State and Superior |
Court, the Chief Magistrate
and the Chief Superior Court
Judge. It is not in my authori
ty or power to appoint at- |
torneys for inmates. 1
Also, in section B, concern- |
ing bonds, I feel lam very le
nient on who can sign bomg,s to |
tz{y and relieve the overcrowd- |
ed conditions at the jail and I |
sug?est you check with the |
local attorneys for comments |
on this matter.
Concerning outdoor recrea- |
tion in section C, after check- |
ing into this claim, I very reluc- |
tantly agree with you. I did not
know they had not been receiv
in% outdoor recreation. This |
will not occur in the future. In |
reference to jackets for outdoor |
Jail Meal Contract
Awarded By Powell
To Jim’s Drive-In
from front page
new bids because one line in the |
advertisement last December |
was not clear to prospective |
bidders. ‘I did not make it |
plain in that line . . . " he said. |
At the Jan. 13 opening, {
Jim’s Drive-In submitted a bid |
of $2.20 per meal while The |
Round Table submitted a bid
of $2.15 per meal. R&M i
Cafeteria submitted a bid of |
$4.35 per meal. Wometco Food |
Services, which did not submit |
a second bid last week, offered [
a bid of $2.62 last Jan! 13. |
The second bid opening and |
the complaint about food For- |
tions by inmates at the jail are |
the latest episodes in a series |
dating bacfl to the spring, |
1986. |
WORKS CAMP
At that time, he decided to |
end the practice of a local |
restaurant supplying the meals |
to jail and to have them |
prepared at the county’s public |
works camp. 5
Inmates complained about |
the meals and he sought bids
from local restaurants last |
June. At that time, Jim's |
Drive-In submitted a bid of |
$4.49 for both meals daily.
R&M Cafeteria submitted a |
bid of $4.65; the Round Table |
submitted a bid of $5 and |
Wometco turned in a bid of |
$5.24 for both meals. 1
The contract was awarded |
to Jim's through the end of
1986. Some gobb County |
prisoners housed at the jail |
complained about the variety
SHOP CHATTOOGA
COUNTY MERCHANTS
MEALS PRAISED
Two women inmates hous
ed at the Floyd County Jail,
said the mea{s at the Chat
tooga Jail were better than
those they were served at
Rome, Wilson said. ‘‘We have
inmates who gain weight off
them,” he added.
Some meals have more food
than others, the jail ad
ministrator said, but he felt
that they average an adequate
amount for the prisoners.
Brooks also said that he
understood the greater caloric
content of his meals was why
Commissioner Powell awarded
the contract to Jim's Drive-In
rather than the low bidder.
“Under a local state law,
the county commissioner is
totally in control of food ser
vices at the county jail, much
to my sorrow, I cannot control
where food comes from, what is
served or in what quantities,’’
said Sheriff McConnell in a
Jan. 29 letter to Johnson.
“Therefore I leave this matter
in your capable hands.”
recreation, as you know, I have
a very hard time getting funds
from the County Commis
sioner, But, I will do
everything in my power to cor
rect this problem.
Under a local State Law,
the county commissioner is
totally in control of food ser
vices at the county jail, much
to my sorrow, I can not control
where the food comes from,
what is served or in what quan
tities. Therefore, I leave this
matter in your capable hands.
Section E, concérning
William Jones. Mr. Jones is
and has been totally un
cooperative not only with the
staff at the jail but with Dr.
Herman Sé)ivey and his At
torney Albert Palmour. We
have attempted to do whatever
was necessary to solve Mr.
Jones' problem with his leg. He
has been very uncooperative in
everyway.
Any suggestions you have
will be appreciated. 'l‘Kank you
for your consideration and the
coogeration you have extended
in the past. The items you have
pointed out, which are in my
authority, have or will be cor
rected. ’l?l',xe items which are not
within my authority, I leave
open for suggestions for a solu
tion. Please Eet me know of any
suggestions you may have.
Best r‘(}e&ards.
Gary W. McConnell
Sheriff, Chattooga County
and content of the meals last
August but Sheriff Gary
Mcéonnell said at the time he
felt the meals were
satisfactory.
No complaints had been
voiced about the meals until
late last week.
Letter From Jail Inmates
To. The £di4or :/2/},*)
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BRI b o /'(éu(/u /Veufl/
PRESENTMENTS TODAY?
Grand Jury Returns
74 True, 14 No Bills
| The February term Chat
! tooga County Grand Jury was
| expected to issue its present
| ments sometime today follow
| ing a busy three days in which
| 74 true bills of indictment were
| returned against 54 in
| dividuals. The Jury also hand
| ed down 14 no birl?,s.
1 The Jury was charged Mon
fd‘ay morning by Cfiattooga
| Superior Court Judge Jon
I Wood.
OFFICERS
| David E. Tidmore, Star
Route, Old Mentone Road,
| Cloudland, was elected
| foreman. Don Howell Bethune,
| 33 9th St., Trion, was named
| assistant foreman. Martha
| Ellen Calhoun, Summerville
' Rte. 1, was named clerk, and
Johnnie L. Lewis, Summer
| ville, was elected assistant
clerk of the Jury.
Judge Woods gave a most
| ly routine charge, pointing out
| that Grand Juries are compos
| ed of between 16 and 23
| members. Sixteen members is
a quorum and at least 12 jurors
must vote for an indictment
before it may be returned,
| regardless of the number of
jurors present. .
! He told them that Georgia
| law requires them to inspect
| the county jail and the papers
| and books of the clerk OP court,
| probate judge, county
| depository, county school
| superintendent and county
i commissioner, and to make any
| necessary appointments.
l NO BILLS
1 Several no bills were hand
| ed down by the Grand Jury.
' They include Ray Dean
| Chambers, who had been
| charged with violation of the
| Georgia Controlled Substances
' Act (GCSA); Johnny L. Fowler,
' burglary; James Hewitt,
burglary; William Robert
1 Jones, violation of the GCSA;
Wayne London, violation of
the GCSA; Tony Pegg,
burglarfy: Kent B. Perry, viola
tion of the GCSA; James
Monroe Pierce, burglary;
Kathleen Smith, aggravated
assault; Dewayne Bentley, ag
gravated assault; Kim Lyons
and Terry Lyons, burg{ary:
Johnny McCutchins, in
terference with government
property; and Troy A. Wooten,
aggravated assault.
A ‘“no’ bill means the
Grand Jury didn’t find enough
evidence for an accused person
to stand trial on criminal
charges. The action effectively
dismisses the charges.
TRUE BILLS
The Jury indicted 33-year
old Bobbg' Burraie for murder
and on charges that he was a
convicted felon in possession of
a firearm. He was charged in
mid-January in connection
with the sKooting death of
17-year-old DeWayne Lee
Payne, Trion. Burrage resided
at 5 First St., Trion. He is still
in the Chattooga County Jail.
John William Reynolds, 49,
Lyerly Rte. 1, was indicted on
statutory rape, child molesta
tion amf’ a related sexual of
fense charge by the Jury in
connection with an alleged in
cident that occurred in late Oc
tober, 1986, involving a
13-year-old girl.
DRUG CHARGE
Fourteen of 16 suspects in
a drug sales operation in Chat
tooga were indicted by the
panel this week. Indicted on
charges of violating the
Georéia Controlled Substances
Act (GCSA) were the following:
James Kulkey ‘‘Jake’’
Anderson, 71, Chattoogaville,
two counts; David Pau% Bren
wald, 24, Sydney Street, Sum
merville; William Bryant, 26,
132 McGinnis Cir., Summer
ville, two counts; Dennis
The Summerville News, Thursday, February 5, 1987 . .
Bolton, Bill Rich Hill, Summer
ville; Gene Hampton, 26,
Welcome Hill Road, Trion;
Kenneth R. Hollingsworth, 27,
Old Highway 27, Trion, two
counts; Mark Kirby, 17
Woodland Ave., Summerville;
Larry London, 29, Fourth
Avenue, Summerville, two
counts; Wayne “‘Rat’’ London,
Summerville, two counts; Riley
Miller, 30, Summerville, two
counts; Mark McGuire, 30,
Bankston Avenue, Summer
ville, two counts; Michael Ray
Whitehead, 34, Old Highway
27, Trion; Bill Henry *Little
Bill"”" Adams, 23, 410-B Third
Ave., Summerville; and Barry
Bramlett, 21, McGinnis Circle,
Summerville.
They were arrested in mid-
December by local and state of
ficers following a six-month
undercover investigation.
Eric Johnson was indicted
on charges of child
molestation.
Raymond Hughes was in
dicted on criminal attempt
charges in connection with an
armed robbery. He was also in
dicted for aggravated assault.
ESCAPEES
Two of three escapees from
the Chattooga Jail last August
were indicted on escape
charges. They were Arnold Neil
Avans, 23, Chattanooga,
Tenn., and James Keith Goins,
20, Dade County. Avans also
was charged with interference
with government property (two
counts) and burglary. Goins
was charged with%urglary and
interference with government
property.
Goins, Avans and Ray
mond J. McGuire, 20, Fayet
teville, escaped from the jail in
late August, 1986, during an
electrical storm that knocked
out power to the jail, including
the electronic doorlocking
mechanism. All three were
later recaptured in the Dry
Valley area following a massive
manhunt with a helicopter and
bloodhounds. McGuire was in
dicted on burglary and in
terference with government
progerty charges.
ther true bills handed
down by the Jury include Ron
hie Lamar Brewster, arson in
the first degree; Johnny A.
Freeman, burglary; Jeffrey B.
Chattooga Chiefs
Review Program
from front page
have them (students) six hours
a day and they're out in the
community the other 18 hours
of the day. With community
support we would have a bet
ter chance to solve or at least
alleviate the problem.”
WORTHWHILE
“It was a worthwhile trip,”
from front page
and was reelected to the office
in 1980.
Married and the father of
one daughter, Rebecca,
McConnell is a cattle farmer, a
member of the Chattooga
Young Farmers group and ie
serves on the advisory board of
the Chattooga Future Farmers
of America chapter.
He and his family attend
the First United Methodist
Church, Summerville.
SHOE REPAIR
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DAN POST" carouiNA
Hines, burflary; Michael
Hunter, burglary; James Allen
Pierce, burgfary; Eddie Lamar
““Marty'' Reed, burglary;
Harold R. Timmons, burglary;
and Timothy Brian Hamilton,
theft by taking.
Indicted on charges of
violating the GCSA were
Johnny Michael Hawkins,
Gregory London, David Steven
Henderson and Kenneth
Touchstone. Henderson was
also indicted on charges of be
ing a convicted felon in posses
sion of a firearm and being a
habitual violator.
FORGERY
Charged with forgery were
Glenn Dodd, Edna Croy
Frazier and Randolph Shrop
shire Jr.
Two suspects were indicted
on charges of fraud in obtain
ing public assistance. They
were Shirley Ledford and
Rhonda Pierce.
Other indictments included
Robert Barr Jr., Walter Harold
Evans, Leonard Wayne Smith,
Dickey M. Turnmire, Timmy
James Bryan, Jackie Leon
Gantt, Robert Bryan Hunter
and Harold A. Wirllyiams. all on
habitual violator charges.
Also indicted were Lee Ed
ward Loveless, theft by taking;
Johnny McCutchins, criminal
trespass; Marshall Price, theft
by receiving stolen groperty
(two counts); and Troy D.
Rutledge, possession of a
firearm by a convicted felon.
JURORS
Grand Jurors include Tid
more, Bethune, Martha
Calhoun, Johnnie Lewis, Ruth
Hazel Grimes, Trion; Carlton
Lee Kitchens, Trion; Michael
Mills, Summerville; H. B.
Gilreath, Trion; John C.
Johnson, Summerville; Gene
Bentley, Menlo; Lee Hendrix
Qwens, Armuchee; Joyce H.
Hogg, Summerville; Dennis
McCary, Summerville;
Weyman High, Summerville;
Clifford Posey, Summerville;
Cynthia Fulton, Trion; Terry
Edward Sentell, Summerville;
Edwin Bruce Cordell, Summer
ville; Patricia Ann Johnsom;
Summerville; David Allen Gar
mon, Menlo; and Hamp
Mosley, Summerville.
said Superintendent Hayes.
“They had a lot of good infor
mation.” He and otier school
officials will determine if the
Chattooga system can follow
up and improve that program
and adapt it locally. He has
also been in touch with state
education officials, Hayes said.
The superintendent a};o men
tioned a possible ARC grant,
adding that he wants to see if
the local matching part of a
grant could be in services
rather than in money. Data are
being compiled for submission
to the ARB in hopes of obtain
ing a grant, he said.
His office hasn't been con
tacted by local residents,
businessmen or parents wan
ting to know what they can do
to help reduce the county’s
dropout rate, Superintendent
Hayes said.
The News revealed in a
sEecial report two weeks afio
that the county had the
highest dropout rate in
Georfiia during the last couple
of school vears.
9-A