Detroit Evening Report: Wayne County, Justice Department reach settlement over jail disability services

Wayne County has reached a settlement with the federal government over the treatment of inmates with disabilities.

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U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison says the jail has a long history of failing to provide services such as access to medication, medical equipment, and mental health treatment — issues the agreement aims to address.

Eight inmates at the jail died by suicide in 2016 and 2017. The county is moving its jail population into a new $616 million facility near I-75 and I-94. 

“We recognize that Wayne County is transitioning inmates into a new facility. However, a new building does not ensure access to those vital services,” Ison said in a statement. “This agreement addresses systemic issues that have prevented inmates who have disabilities from equal access to services, programs, and activities while at the Wayne County Jail. Wayne County has fully cooperated with our investigation and this settlement agreement demonstrates our shared commitment to improving services for inmates with disabilities at the Wayne County Jail.”

The settlement agreement requires Wayne County to implement a series of reforms at the jail, including:

• Procedures to identify inmates who have disabilities when they arrive to the jail and programs that will allow each inmate access to services no matter where they are assigned within the facility
• Access to physical health, mental health, and dental services for all inmates who have disabilities, including programs like detoxication and treatment for opioid use disorder
• Programs to ensure the appropriate administration of medication to inmates who have disabilities
• Robust revisions to the suicide prevention program.

To ensure compliance, the county will provide compliance reports to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and will retain at least one expert consultant to help implement the terms of this agreement.

The agreement will remain in effect for a term of three years, unless Wayne County demonstrates durable compliance.

Other headlines for Tuesday, July 16, 2024:

• The Belle Isle Conservancy, Detroit Sound Conservancy, Children’s Foundation and several other local nonprofit organizations are getting a boost thanks to a $2.6 million grant from the Hudson-Webber Foundation.
• Detroit’s Belle Isle Beach has again been closed temporarily due to hi levels of E. coli, the Detroit Health Department reports.
• The annual Jazz on the Avenue Customer Appreciation Festival celebrating the historic Avenue of Fashion is set for Saturday, August 3, along Livernois between McNichols and Eight Mile Road.
• Celebrity chef Matty Matheson, who plays Neil in the Emmy-winning tv show “The Bear,” is partnering with downtown Detroit bar Standby on a new menu. 

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