|
Adams County Correctional Facility, Natchez, Mississippi
April 21, 2008 AP
Gov. Haley Barbour has signed into law a bill
that gives a privately owned jail in Natchez the authority to house
federal and state inmates. The Adams County Correctional Center is
currently under construction and is slated to be completed in December
2008. Barbour said signing "this legislation is appropriate as the state
continues to find alternative housing solutions for our growing inmate
population." Governor. The correctional facility is located on more than
140 acres in southwest Mississippi near Natchez. It is owned and
operated by Corrections Corporation of America.
August 1, 2007 Clarion Ledger
A 1,668-bed private prison being built in Adams County secured the final
$500,000 in matching funds today to extend the Natchez sewer lines to
the site. The Delta Regional Authority will provide that money for the
Corrections Corporation of America prison, which is scheduled to be
completed by the end of 2008. Funding for the sewer project will
accelerate completion of the project, which is expected to create
approximately 300 jobs. The funding was announced today in a joint news
release from Sens. Thad Cochran and Trent Lott, Gov. Haley Barbour and
3rd District U.S. Chip Pickering. "Southwest Mississippi is an important
part of our state and this new facility will help create economic
confidence in the area by generating hundreds of new jobs," Cochran said
in the news release. Lott noted in the news release that the sewer
project has an additional benefit. "Anytime you expand or upgrade water
or waste water service, it is a well-placed, long-term investment in the
community that can promote new residential and commercial growth," he
said.
June 12, 2007 Natchez Democrat
The board of aldermen agreed on a more binding agreement between the
city and county governments regarding water and sewer services to a
private prison Tuesday. Walter Brown, who represents the private prison
company CCA and the city waterworks, asked the aldermen to sign an
interlocal agreement. The agreement would spell out more specific
responsibilities of the parties involved, Brown said. The city and
county are applying for grants to fund the water and sewer
infrastructure to the proposed prison near Cranfield. An interlocal
agreement would help secure those grant monies, Brown said. The project
will still require no city or county taxpayer money, he said. The
interlocal agreement would simply say, “We’re doing our part of the
project, and they’re doing theirs,” Brown said. Because CCA wants to
meet the GO Zone deadline to benefit from financial incentives, time was
short, Brown said. “CCA still wants to take the deed by July 1,” Brown
said. “We’re really under the gun to meet their timeline.” Some of the
parties involved, such as Adams County Water Association and the county
have asked for changes to the original draft of the agreement, he said,
so he did not have the final document at Tuesday’s meeting. That didn’t
sit well with Alderman James “Ricky” Gray. “It’s kind of unusual for me
to sit up here and vote for something I haven’t seen and the city
attorney hasn’t read over,” Gray said. “I like to read over something
before I vote and sign it.” Since time was of the essence, Alderman Jake
Middleton suggested the board give the mayor and board attorney
authorization to review the document before they signed it. “I don’t
think they’re going to sign off on something that’s not beneficial,”
Middleton said. Brown said he would be happy to get copies of the draft
to anyone interested. The board voted authority to the mayor to sign the
agreement.
May 3, 2007 Natchez Democrat
The new prison needs $4 million in water and sewer infrastructure, but
if all goes as planned, the county and city won’t have to shell out a
penny of their own. If plans fall through, the money may come out of
taxes the company would be paying to the county. Adams County Water
Association plans to provide the water, and Natchez Water Works will
provide the sewer for the Corrections Corporation of America private
prison near Cranfield. However, they need the money for things like
labor, pipes and a water tank. So the city and county are looking to get
money through grants that private CCA can’t get. The county board of
supervisors approved the project Tuesday and asked the Southwest
Mississippi Development District to hunt for grants and loans. Such
grants could come from several places, including federal funds and the
Delta Regional Authority, attorney Walter Brown said. Hopefully, the
grants won’t require matching funds, said Brown, who represents CCA
locally and Natchez Water Works. “A 10 percent match is normally
required, but we’ve asked for it to be waived,” Brown said. “If not,
we’ll figure out how to handle it. Most logical would be a tax increment
financing bond.” Such a bond would use the company’s future taxes to pay
off the debt. That way, the county isn’t losing any money it currently
has, Brown said. Previously, CCA and county representatives said no city
or county money would be required if the prison located in Adams County.
That worries Supervisor Henry Watts. “Full disclosure is always my
concern — full disclosure on the front end, letting the supervisors
know,” Watts said. “Give us a good idea what kind of money the taxpayers
of Adams County are having to put up, not only on the prison but on any
proposal.” Tuesday’s supervisors meeting was the first time Watts said
he had heard the county might need to play a role in the prison project.
“It was the first time I’d heard we were actually going to have to put
up money,” Watts said. “Am I scared of that? No. But right now, we have
no idea how much money we’d have to put up.”
Bartlett State Jail,
Temple, Texas
January 23, 2008 Longview News-Journal
An inmate at Bradshaw State Jail in Henderson was found dead in his
cell this past week, a Texas Department of Corrections spokesman said.
Gregory Cole, 30, was discovered hanging by a bed sheet from the light
fixture in his cell at about 11 a.m. Jan. 15, said Jason Clark. Jail
personnel performed emergency care on Cole, and he was taken to a
hospital. He was pronounced dead at 11:30 a.m. In June 2006, Cole was
sentenced to 10 years in state jail for possession and intent to deliver
a controlled substance in McLennan County, Clark said. The spokesman did
not know where Cole lived. Clark said investigators with the attorney
general's office were notified of the death. He said the attorney
general's office always is notified when an inmate dies. A call to the
AG's office was not returned Tuesday.
Robert L. Moore didn't like the TV show
his fellow inmates had voted to watch at a Mineral Wells private prison
Sunday afternoon, so he started an argument, Texas Department of
Criminal Justice officials said Thursday. Neither Moore nor the other
inmates reported the fight. Moore went to the infirmary Monday, saying
he had fallen. Prison officials said he had bruises under both eyes and
a cut on his lip. He was given pain medication and sent back to his
cell. On Tuesday, Moore became incoherent as he complained of a head
injury. He was taken to Palo Pinto General Hospital and later
transferred to Harris Methodist Fort Worth. On Wednesday, Moore was
pronounced dead at 4:20 p.m. (Fort Worth Star Telegram, May 31, 2002)
Kyndall Dwight James, 22, who escaped from the Bartlett State Jail in
2000, pleaded guilty Monday to charges of escape, a second-degree
felony, and unlawful use of a motor vehicle, a state jail felony. James
was sentenced to 20 years in prison. David Lee Sanders, a second
Bartlett inmate accused of escaping with James, will stand trial today.
(The Statesman, January 8, 2002)
Two convicted felons escape after breaking into the maintenance shop and
stealing a cutting tool to cut through the 12-foot perimeter fence. They
were caught the next day after a high speed car chase that ended with
the escapees' stolen truck tires being shot out. (Austin
American-Statesman, August 29, 2000)
Bay County
Correctional Facility, Panama City,
Florida
November 1, 2006 AP
Prosecutors couldn’t convince a central Kentucky jury to convict a Bay
County man accused of making a hoax phone call that lasted 3½ hours and
ended in a bizarre sexual assault of a teenage McDonald’s worker. The
jury on Tuesday acquitted David R. Stewart, 38, of Fountain, on charges
of impersonating a police officer, soliciting sodomy and soliciting
sexual abuse relating to a phone call made to the Mount Washington, Ky.,
restaurant in which former employees testified that the caller told them
to conduct a strip-search of a worker in April 2004. Steve Romines,
Stewart’s lawyer, said the jury’s verdict showed the weakness of the
prosecution’s case. “There are a lot of questions unanswered in this
case,” he said. “The only thing I knew for sure was my client didn’t do
it.”
October 31, 2006 The Courier-Journal
Bullitt County Commonwealth’s Attorney Mike Mann implored jurors
Tuesday to “follow the evidence” and convict a Florida man charged with
being the mastermind behind an elaborate hoax that led to a McDonald’s
worker being strip-searched and sexually humiliated. “It’s so obvious,”
Mann told jurors in his closing arguments this morning. “There is more
than enough evidence to find the defendant guilty.” An hour earlier,
defense attorney Steve Romines said his client, David R. Stewart, was
the “fall guy” for a botched police investigation. “They came to a
conclusion then went about looking for facts to support it,” said
Romines, who also told jurors that there was more evidence that this
hoax was itself a “scam.” “There’s not even proof beyond a reasonable
doubt that this is real,” he said. Stewart is accused of calling the
restaurant on April 9, 2004, and directing an assistant manager to
search and detain Louise Ogborn, who the caller said was accused of
stealing a purse. During a 3½ ordeal after that, Ogborn was sexually
abused by the manager’s then-fiancé, who later pled guilty but said he’d
been acting on the orders of a caller posing as an officer. Stewart,
charged with impersonating a police officer and soliciting sodomy, faces
up to 15 years in prison on the two felony charges.
October 22, 2006 News Herald
The 19-year-old woman stripped naked in front of her boss in the
manager’s room at the Winn-Dixie on 23rd Street more than three years
ago because a voice on the phone said so. The teenager posed. She
exposed. She did jumping jacks nude. For nearly two hours, a man who
said he was a police officer orchestrated her humiliation over the
phone. The voice told the girl’s boss, assistant manager James Marvin
Pate, that she stole a purse. Police believe the man on the phone was
David R. Stewart, of Fountain, said Sgt. Kevin Miller, of the Panama
City Police Department. Authorities said Stewart, 39, made dozens of
calls like this across the country for several years. The phone hoaxes
sparked lawsuits against restaurant franchisees and chains like
McDonald’s, Burger King and Applebee’s. Stewart’s first trial is
scheduled to begin Tuesday in Mount Washington, Ky. In the Kentucky
case, Stewart is accused of calling a McDonald’s on April 9, 2004, and
posing as a police officer. Police said he told McDonald’s assistant
manager Donna Summers a story similar to what the voice told the manager
at the Panama City Winn-Dixie: He said a teenage female employee, Louise
Ogborn, had stolen a purse and that she needed to be strip-searched.
Summers and her ex-boyfriend, Walter Nix Jr., strip-searched Ogborn for
about four hours, police said. Nix also had Ogborn perform sexual acts
on him — all at the request of the caller. Mount Washington authorities
charged Stewart with three counts of solicitation to commit sexual
abuse, first degree; solicitation to commit sodomy, first degree;
impersonating a police officer; and solicitation unlawful imprisonment,
second degree. Incidents since the ’90s: Authorities said Stewart has
peppered the country with calls dating back to the mid-1990s, mostly to
chain restaurants. Usually, the man calls, identifies himself as a
police officer, and says a female employee has drugs or has stolen
something and must be strip-searched. In Panama City, the nightmare for
a 19-year-old cashier began on July 12, 2003, at Winn-Dixie, when a
fellow employee told her to report to the manager’s office, according to
a PCPD incident report. According to the police report, which blacked
out the name of the victim, what happened next lasted nearly two hours:
Assistant manager Pate, 39, was waiting and handed her the phone. On the
line was a man who said he was Officer Tim Peterson with the Panama City
Police Department. The voice said she stole a purse and gave her two
choices: Either strip naked in front of Pate or be brought down to the
jail, where she’d be strip-searched in front of a lot more people. The
voice also said Pate had the authority to keep her there and
strip-search her, while the voice verified everything over the phone.
The cashier agreed. Pate told her what to take off, and she complied out
of fear of being taken to jail. She placed each item of clothing in a
plastic bag. Pate described the cashier’s naked body in intimate detail
to the voice on the phone, according to the police report. The voice
commanded the cashier to pose in various positions that exposed her
breasts, anal and vaginal areas to Pate. Toward the end of the woman’s
ordeal, grocery manager Thomas Moton, 49, entered the office looking for
a a key to unload a truck at the store’s rear dock. When he entered, the
cashier was doing jumping jacks, and Pate had the receiver to his ear.
“Pate said the boss is on the phone,” Moton said. “I thought the store
manager was on the phone.” Moton said he thought something wasn’t right.
He wanted to get the other assistant manager, but Pate said the voice on
the phone told him to stay. The cashier went through several poses,
Moton said. “She was bending over, sitting in a chair and doing jumping
jacks,” he said. When the woman finally was allowed to leave, she put
her clothes on and rushed out the door. Moton mentioned to Pate that “if
this ain’t what it’s supposed to be, then you are out of here.” A short
time later, police tore into the parking lot and hauled off Pate in
handcuffs. Police charged Pate with lewd and lascivious behavior and
false imprisonment. The charges eventually were dropped, Miller said.
Moton said he never saw the cashier again after that night. “I didn’t
even want to look her in face,” he said. “It was so embarrassing.”
Police track the caller: The caller contacted several Wendy’s
restaurants on Feb. 20, 2004, in the West Bridgewater, Mass., area, said
Detective Sgt. Victor Flaherty of the West Bridgewater Police
Department. West Bridge water is a suburb of Boston. “We had four
incidents in one night,” Flaherty said. “Some conversations lasted more
than an hour and a half.” Like the others, calls involved strip-searches
of female employees, Flaherty said. By this time, however, the trail was
leading back to Stewart, authorities said. After a story appeared in a
restaurant industry magazine about what happened in West Bridgewater,
Flaherty was flooded with calls from police agencies across the country.
Detective Buddy Stump of the Mount Washington Police Department called
Flaherty. Stump was looking for help tracing the call to the McDonald’s
where Ogborn was strip-searched. Flaherty traced the calls made to West
Bridgewater back to the Panama City area. He called the Panama City
Police Department and asked for help, Miller said. Andrea McKenzie, a
former detective with the PCPD and now an investigator with the state
attorney’s office, helped link Stewart to the calls. McKenzie said she
fielded calls from police agencies all over the country. “It was kind of
shocking,” she said. “People said the phone number was coming from the
Panama City area.” When the investigation uncovered that some of the
calls were made using a phone card, authorities got the break they
needed. “Nothing in this world is untraceable, if you put the time into
it,” Flaherty said. McKenzie tracked the date and time of when the phone
cards were bought to the Wal-Mart on 23rd Street. She pulled security
video. On the video was a man wearing a uniform from the local jail run
by Corrections Corporation of America, McKenzie said. Stewart was
identified as the jail guard shown on the video, authorities said, and
police brought him to the PCPD to be interrogated by Flaherty, who flew
in from Massachusetts. When police arrested Stewart, they found numerous
police magazines and applications to police departments, Miller said.
“This guy wanted to be a cop in the worst way,” Flaherty said. Stewart’s
attorney, Steve Romines, said there is no way his client could have been
the voice on the phone. “To talk someone into this — it is someone more
eloquent than David (Stewart),” Romines said. “He’s not dumb, but this
was very sophisticated.” Flaherty disagreed with Romines’ assessment.
“I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and there is no doubt in my mind”
that Stewart did it, Flaherty said. Authorities eventually extradited
Stewart in the fall 2004 from Bay County to Mount Washington to stand
trial. Panama City police didn’t go after Stewart because they couldn’t
link him to the call to the Winn-Dixie, Miller said. Other states,
meanwhile, are awaiting the outcome of the Kentucky trial before
pursuing legal action against Stewart, Flaherty said. “Oregon is still
interested in him,” Flaherty said. “In Massachusetts, I consider it a
rape by him.”
August 25, 2006 The Courier-Journal
Nearly half of Bullitt County residents think that David Stewart is
guilty of masterminding the telephone hoax at the Mount Washington
McDonald’s in which a teenage employee was strip-searched and sexually
humiliated in April 2004, according to survey conducted to support
Stewart’s motion to move his trial. But Bullitt Circuit Judge Thomas
Waller indicated Friday he will deny the motion and try to empanel an
impartial jury on Oct. 24, when the case is set for trial. Stewart is
charged with impersonating a police officer and soliciting sodomy for
allegedly calling the restaurant and pretending to be a police officer
investigating a theft. As a result of the call, employee Louise Ogborn,
then 18, was forced to take off her clothes and sodomize a man that
Stewart allegedly asked to watch her. Stewart’s lawyer, Steve Romines,
asked for a change of venue, citing numerous newspaper and TV stories
that have mentioned Stewart is suspected of making calls to as many as
70 other restaurants and stores in 30 states. He hasn’t been charged in
any of those incidents, and Romines said evidence concerning them would
be inadmissible at Stewart’s trial. Stewart, a former corrections
officer at a private prison near Panama City, Fla., attended a hearing
before Waller yesterday but did not speak in court. Romines declined to
let him answer questions from reporters.
June 17, 2006 AP
Detective Buddy Stump couldn't believe the story being told. A teenage worker at
the local McDonald's had been strip-searched and sexually assaulted by
co-workers. The co-workers said a policeman called the restaurant, described the
girl and directed them about what to do. "I'm thinking, 'They told you to do
what?'" said Stump, one of 16 police officers in Mount Washington and the
department's only detective. The investigation that grew from that night would
lead to a plea by a former employee of McDonald's, and the arrest of a Florida
man on charges of impersonating a police officer and soliciting sodomy. The
trial of David R. Stewart, 38, of Florida, was previously scheduled to begin
this week but has been postponed to Sept. 5. In handwritten court filings,
Stewart denies being the hoax caller. He is free on $50,000 cash bond. Mailings
to the Bullitt Circuit Court indicate he is still living in Florida. "I had
nothing to do with any of this," Stewart said. "I did not do this." A judge has
ordered the attorneys involved in the case not to discuss it publicly before the
trial. Stump and other investigators in states from Maine to Wyoming to Arizona
say they believe their investigation stopped a cruel and bizarre series of
hoaxes. Private investigator R.A. Dawson of Rapid City, S.D., who investigated a
similar incident, said he had found 70 other cases resembling the one in
Kentucky. "The M-O's were all similar," Dawson said. "And, they seemed to get
increasingly worse." In court filings, McDonald's has denied any wrongdoing, but
has declined to comment on the case, citing a pending civil case.
February 2, 2006 Courier-Journal
The Bullitt County man who claimed he thought he was following a police
officer’s orders when he sexually humiliated a teenaged McDonald’s
worker in April 2004 pleaded guilty this morning to sexual abuse, sexual
misconduct and unlawful imprisonment. A charge of sodomy, which could
have sent Walter W. Nix Jr., to prison for 20 years, was dropped as part
of a plea bargain to which he agreed to a five-year prison term. Nix,
who will be formally sentenced on March 15, agreed not to seek probation
at sentencing, and Commonwealth’s Attorney Mike Mann agreed to take no
position on shock probation, which could be granted later. Nix is the
first person to be convicted in the 2004 hoax at the Mount Washington
McDonald’s in which Louise Ogborn, a $6.35 hour counter worker, was
strip-searched and sexually humiliated for nearly four hours after a man
pretending to be a police officer called the store and said he was
investigating the theft of a purse from a customer. Nix, 43, was
scheduled to be tried today before Bullitt Circuit Judge Tom Waller. The
judge asked Ogborn if she supported the plea bargain and if so why. She
said she did because it will require Nix to serve time in prison, to
register as a sex offender and to testify against David N. Stewart, the
alleged perpetrator of the hoax. Stewart, a former private prison guard
from Fountain, Fla., is scheduled to be tried April 18 on charges of
impersonating a police officer and soliciting sodomy for allegedly
making the hoax call. Law enforcement officials have said they suspect
Stewart was behind at least 69 other hoaxes at businesses in 32 states
from 1995 through 2004. He has been charged only in Bullitt County, and
has pleaded not guilty.
November 17, 2005 In-Forum News
The suspected mastermind behind strip searches of employees at chain
restaurants and stores nationwide - including one at a north Fargo
Burger King - faces felony charges in Kentucky for a hoax there.
Authorities arrested David Richard Stewart of Panama City, Fla., after
tracking a call from a Wal-Mart to Kentucky, where an18-year-old
McDonald's employee was sexually abused last year when an assistant
manager followed directions from a caller. Court papers state Stewart,
38, posed as "Officer Scott" when calling the McDonald's in
Mount Washington. He convinced the assistant manager to strip-search the
woman, who Scott said was suspected of stealing. The call resembles one
made to the Fargo Burger King on 19th Avenue North in January 1999. The
caller, posing as "Lieutenant Scott," convinced then-night
manager Jason Allan Krein to strip-search a 17-year-old female employee
in his office. Krein later pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a
misdemeanor, and served 30 days in jail. In Kentucky, the assistant
manager and her boyfriend also face charges for the McDonald's strip
search. The assistant manager faces an unlawful imprisonment charge
while her boyfriend faces sexual abuse and sodomy crimes. Authorities
charged Stewart with impersonating a police officer and soliciting each
of the other crimes. The suspects all pleaded not guilty and face trials
next month. "It was a horrible, horrible ordeal that this young
lady had to go through," said Walt Sholar, the Bullitt County, Ky.,
attorney handling one of the cases. Nationwide, Sholar said there are
about 70 cases similar to the ones in Kentucky and Fargo. Dozens of
police departments have contacted Mount Washington authorities convinced
they arrested their suspect. "I have no doubt in my mind that he's
been the one behind all of them," Mount Washington Police Detective
Buddy Stump said. "For the sake of the rest of the country, I hope
and pray that it is." Stump broke the case open after the city told
him to find the caller. "We realized how many people have been
affected across the United States," he said. "I thought it was
my duty." With help from detectives in Massachusetts and Florida,
Stump zeroed in on a surveillance video at one of Panama City's three
Wal-Marts. Once they had the guy's image, they tracked Stewart to a
private prison company where he worked. Stewart remains free on bond
until his trial. Calls to a phone listing for David Stewart in Panama
City went unanswered. In January 1999, a man called six Fargo
businesses- two Burger Kings, three Taco Bells and Payless Shoe Store -
in an attempt to convince managers to strip-search female employees. At
the north Fargo Burger King, Krein went along with the caller's demands,
undressing the employee and touching her legs to describe them to the
caller. At Krein's court hearing, East Central District Judge Georgia
Dawson said "it's just not conceivable" for Krein to think the
search was proper. Fargo attorney Adam Hamm, a prosecutor then, told
Dawson the girl was traumatized for months. "Of all the cases I
prosecuted, this was one of the cases that burned itself into my
memory," Hamm said. "I have always wondered if I made the
right decision in charging Jason Krein with the charge." Hamm said
he prepared a more serious charge against Krein but balked at filing it
because of how state law defines sexual contact. "I knew I could
prove the misdemeanor and at some level he had to be held
responsible," Hamm said. After the Fargo strip search, the girl and
her parents sued Burger King, owned by RED Inc. in Grand Forks, N.D. The
case was settled in mediation, according to those familiar with the
case. Details of the settlement are not public. Krein moved to Wisconsin
and could not be reached for comment. Fargo Lt. Tod Dahle recalls the
Burger King search because police tracked one call to a Florida pay
phone and the caller posed as a Fargo officer. After the incident, Fargo
police received reports of similar incidents in Grand Forks, Devils
Lake, N.D., Watertown, S.D., and Virginia and Wisconsin. "Ever
since that happened, I probably got a call about that case every three
months," he said. "Of course, I'd learn it happened somewhere
else." With Stewart's arrest, Dahle said Fargo police will ask
prosecutors to review the case to determine if charges can be filed
against Stewart. "I think to some degree, the people (managers)
wanted to participate," Dahle said. "I don't think we'll ever
know how many times this guy (Stewart) was told no."
November 3, 2005 Courier-Journal
The Bullitt County man who claimed a hoax caller duped him into
sexually humiliating a teenage McDonald's employee at the restaurant
last year apologized to his victim yesterday and said he was ashamed of
what he did. "I had no intention of hurting anyone," Walter W.
Nix Jr., 43, said in Bullitt Circuit Court to Louise Ogborn, whom he
forced to sodomize him in April 2004. Nix has said he was following the
orders of the caller, who he thought was a police officer. But Judge Tom
Waller refused to accept a deal in which Nix had offered to plead guilty
to a reduced charge of sexual misconduct and unlawful imprisonment in
exchange for a sentence of one year's probation. Waller let Nix withdraw
his plea and set his trial on charges of sodomy and assault for Dec. 13.
That's the same day that David N. Stewart, a former private prison guard
from Fountain, Fla., is scheduled to stand trial on charges of
impersonating a police officer and soliciting sodomy for allegedly
perpetrating the hoax during a call to the Mount Washington restaurant.
Law enforcement officials have said they suspect Stewart was behind at
least 69 other hoaxes pulled off at other businesses in 32 states from
1995 through last year. He has been charged only in Bullitt County and
pleaded not guilty there.
November 2, 2005 Courier-Journal
Bullitt Circuit Judge Tom Waller this morning rejected a plea agreement
for a man who admitted sexually humiliating a teenager who was
strip-searched last year at the Mount Washington McDonald's where she
worked. Walter Nix Jr., 43, pleaded guilty last month to unlawful
imprisonment and sexual misconduct as part of a plea bargain that would
have given him one year probation. The deal fell through after Louise
Ogborn, 19, who was forced to sodomize Nix as part of telephone hoax at
the store on April 9, 2004, objected to portions that allowed Nix to
deny wrongdoing and to avoid registering as a sex offender. Judge Waller
set Nix's case for Dec. 13. Ogborn was detained for nearly four hours in
the hoax, which was one of 70 perpetrated in 32 states from 1995 through
last year. A private prison guard, David N. Stewart, of Fountain, Fla.,
was charged in July 2004 with impersonating a police officer and
soliciting sodomy in the Mount Washington case. He has pleaded not
guilty and is set for trial Dec. 13.
November 2, 2005 Courier-Journal
A teenager who was strip-searched in April 2004 at the Mount Washington
McDonald's where she worked is objecting to terms of the plea bargain
struck for the man who admitted sexually humiliating her. As part of the
agreement, Walter Nix Jr., 43, pleaded guilty last month to unlawful
imprisonment and sexual misconduct, and was to be sentenced today in
Bullitt Circuit Court to one year's probation under those charges. But
Louise Ogborn, 19, who was forced to sodomize Nix as part of telephone
hoax at the store on April 9, 2004, objects to portions of the deal that
allowed him to deny wrongdoing and to avoid registering as a sex
offender, according to lawyers for both sides. "The deal will not
go through," said William C. Boone Jr., Ogborn's co-counsel. Nix's
lawyer, Kathleen Schmidt, said she will ask Judge Tom Waller to enforce
the plea agreement today. If he doesn't, Nix will have the option of
withdrawing his plea and going to trial, or accepting an agreement with
harsher terms. Nix had been charged with sodomy and assault, which carry
penalties of up to 20 years in prison. Nix has claimed he was duped into
humiliating Ogborn by a man who called the McDonald's pretending to be a
police officer investigating a theft. Nix was engaged at the time to the
store's assistant manager, Donna Jean Summers, who, at the behest of the
caller, had taken away Ogborn's clothes before calling Nix in to help
watch the teen. Nix has said the man on the phone ordered him to direct
Ogborn to do exercises in the nude and perform oral sex on him. He said
he also slapped her several times on the buttocks at the direction of
the caller. Ogborn was detained for nearly four hours in the hoax, which
was one of 70 perpetrated in 32 states from 1995 through last year. A
private prison guard, David N. Stewart, of Fountain, Fla., was charged
in July 2004 with impersonating a police officer and soliciting sodomy
in the Mount Washington case. He has pleaded not guilty and is set for
trial Dec. 13. ABC Primetime is scheduled to broadcast a segment Nov. 10
about the Mount Washington case, according to Yater, who said Ogborn was
interviewed for it last week by a producer and reporter John Quinones.
October 11, 2005 Courier-Journal
A Bullitt County man who claimed he was duped into sexually humiliating
a teenage McDonald's worker last year by a man impersonating a police
officer pleaded guilty yesterday to a felony charge of unlawful
imprisonment. In a plea bargain approved by his victim, Walter Nix Jr.,
43, will get probation after agreeing to a one-year term for the felony
and for sexual misconduct, a misdemeanor. He originally was charged with
sodomy and assault, for which he could have been sentenced to 20 years
in prison. Bullitt Circuit Judge Tom Waller tentatively accepted the
plea pending formal approval of it by victim Louise Ogborn at Nix's
sentencing, set for Nov. 2. Nix was engaged at the time to the store's
assistant manager, Donna Jean Summers, who asked him to come watch
Ogborn. A man who phoned the store pretending to be a police officer
accused Ogborn of theft and ordered her strip-searched. According to
police and court records, Nix said he thought he was following an
officer's orders when he directed Ogborn, who was detained four hours in
the restaurant's office, to do exercises in the nude and perform oral
sex on him. He also slapped her several times on her buttocks, at the
direction of the caller, the records show. The incident was the focus of
a Courier-Journal story Sunday that noted that the strip-search was
among at least 70 performed at fast-food restaurants and other
businesses from 1995 through 2004 at the direction of a caller who
claimed he was investigating crimes. Ogborn agreed to be identified by
name in the newspaper. A private prison guard, David N. Stewart, of
Fountain, Fla., was charged in July 2004 with impersonating a police
officer and soliciting sodomy in the Mount Washington case. He has
pleaded not guilty, and his trial is set for Dec. 13. Summers is charged
with unlawful imprisonment, a misdemeanor, and her trial is scheduled
for Dec. 7. She also has pleaded not guilty. Ogborn's co-counsel,
William C. Boone Jr., said his client approved the deal because
"she wants somebody to say they are sorry and for somebody to say
she did nothing wrong," both of which he said Nix has promised to
say at sentencing. "She is tired of McDonald's blaming her for what
happened," Boone said. In a lawsuit, Ogborn has alleged that the
company failed to warn employees at the Mount Washington store about
prior strip-search hoaxes at other restaurants around the country.
McDonald's has said in court papers and through its lawyer that Ogborn
was in part responsible because she failed to realize the caller wasn't
a real officer. Nix and Summers were among at least 13 people across the
United States charged with crimes for executing searches for the caller.
Seven have been convicted of various crimes. Stewart so far has only
been charged in the Bullitt County incident.
November 11, 2004 Arizona
Republic
A teenage girl who was strip-searched by the
manager of a Taco Bell earlier this year has filed suit against the
restaurant chain. The lawsuit alleges Taco Bell officials were aware of
a string of prank calls to fast-food restaurants across the country
where a caller persuaded employees to do strip searches, but did not
adequately update franchises. In the March incident at 17230 E. Shea
Blvd., a male caller claiming to be a Scottsdale police officer
persuaded the Taco Bell manager to body search the girl, a patron, in a
back room. According to the suit, Taco Bell knew of incidents at
restaurants in Wyoming in 2004, Alaska in 2003 and Georgia in 2002 and
issued warnings to franchises, though not enough was done to educate
employees.
July 29, 2004 Nation's Restaurant
News
One of the most bizarre and longest-running con games in foodservice may
have ended with the arrest of a prison guard who was charged with duping
scores of restaurant managers over the phone into strip-searching their
employees. The Panama City Police Department was holding David
Stewart, a 38-year-old corrections officer, under a governor's warrant,
a kind of fugitive warrant, until his bid to fight extradition to Mount
Washington, Ky., was exhausted. Stewart, a father of five and a
former auxilary policeman, worked for the Bay County State Facility, a
privately run prison operated by the Corrections Corp. of America.
better know as the CCA. Police in Mount Washington--a bedroom
community of 13,000 residents seven miles from Louisville--were seeking
to interrogate Stewart in connection with an April 9 incident in which a
man posing as a cop called a local McDonald's and convinced a manager to
strip-search a young female cashier. Stewart faces a $ 500,000 bond once
he is in the custody of Mount Washington authorities.
Investigators used phone records, calling-card numbers and security
surveillance cameras in a Wal-Mart outside Panama City where the calling
cards had been purchased in order to link Stewart to the assault.
Mount Washington is only one of nearly 73 police departments in 30 or
more states whose Burger Kings, McDonald's, Taco Bells, KFCs,
Applebee's, Hooters, Wendy's, Perkins and dozens of other restaurants
were victimized by similar ruses. In almost all cases the restaurants
were located in small towns. As the story first was reported in
Nation's Restaurant News in March, police nationwide had been looking
for a man who posed as a cop or a senior executive of a restaurant
company. He had persuaded as many as 73 unit managers of major brands to
strip-search young staffers in bogus hunts for stolen valuables.
The perpetrator listened in over the phone while the managers were
coaxed into giving detailed descriptions of the hapless victims'
underwear and body parts. The crime had gone largely unreported for years, possibly as far back as
1995, because the victims and their employers were too embarrassed to
report it to authorities, once they realized they had been duped. Even
when they did report it, most small-town police departments didn't know
how to investigate the con, so police tended to file the reports away
under "miscellaneous" and the cases died. Particularly
anxious to interrogate Stewart are detectives of the police departments
of four Massachusetts towns--West Bridgewater, Abington, Whitman and
Wareham--where single Wendy's restaurants were victimized on the same
day this year, Feb 19. One civil lawsuit has come out of those cases
against Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy's International Inc. The four
towns pooled their resources and appointed detective sergeant Victor
Flaherty of West Bridgewater to lead a task force to find the
perpetrator. Wendy's financed the task force's expenses for travel,
phone record recalls and overtime. Flaherty waded through hours of
security video footage of calling-card purchases from the Wal-Mart store
until he and other investigators linked a customer to cards used in the
Wendy's incidents in February and an incident at a Kentucky McDonald's
in April. In one tape a man wearing a Corrections Corp. of America
uniform purchased a calling card used in the February assault in
Massachusetts, but other security footage identified the same man in
civilian clothing purchasing a card used in the April con in
Kentucky. Flaherty first showed prison administrators the tape of
the man in civilian clothes, and they immediately recognized him. The
clincher occurred when they were shown the other tape of the suspect
wearing his uniform. Supervisors were certain that the man was one of
theirs.
A 26-year-old corrections officer stabbed two sisters — including one
who is pregnant — with a butcher knife early Saturday during an
argument over a man, authorities reported. Investigators charged
Cachetta Ann Barnes with two counts of aggravated assault after the
altercation at 4 a.m. at 1013 Spring Ave. An arrest affidavit said
Barnes stabbed 19-year-old Tikila Walker on the left arm. Tiffany
Walker, Tikila’s 24-year-old sister, heard a commotion near the door
and went to Tikila’s aid, the affidavit said. "She started
calling my house around 3 in the morning threatening us," Tiffany
Walker told The News Herald Saturday afternoon. Authorities said Barnes
is a corrections officer at the Bay Correctional Facility on Bayline
Drive, a private prison run by Corrections Corporation of America. CCA
officials did not immediately return phone messages. (News Herald,
January 11, 2004)
Bay County Jail and Annex, Panama City,
Florida
June 19, 2008 News-Herald
A Corrections Corporation of America officer was arrested Thursday and
charged with three counts of sexual battery, police said. Robert C.
Heller, 27, of Parker, was a CCA employee assigned to the Bay County
Jail, Detective Aaron Wilson with the Parker Police Department said. No
further information was available Thursday night.
June 17, 2008 News-Herald
It is going to cost more, but Bay County commissioners expect to get
their money's worth out of Sheriff Frank McKeithen when he takes over
operations of the county's jail facility in October. Commissioners
passed an ordinance Tuesday placing McKeithen at the helm when current
operator Corrections Corporation of America leaves in the fall. He
officially will take over Oct. 9. There was little discussion on the
matter at the commission meeting. Most of the talking took place weeks
ago. In May, when Tennessee-based CCA cited financial hardship and
announced it would be leaving, Commission Chairman Jerry Girvin
described more of an opportunity than crisis. The county had been
critical of the company for several incidents through the years,
including hostage standoffs, smuggled contraband and sex scandals.
"While we're not totally delighted with the concept, it's now in our lap
and we'll deal with it," Girvin said at the time. "Really, in most of
the counties in Florida, the sheriff does run the jail." McKeithen told
the board June 3 that the Bay County Sheriff's Office could operate the
facility for $17,855,216 a year. That is about $7 more per inmate, per
day than CCA's price, which McKeithen said is because county employees
require more pay and benefits. Also, Bay County spokeswoman Valerie
Lovett said peripheral details, such as who would provide food and
health services at the facility, still are being worked out. Such costs
would be above and beyond the sheriff's estimate. Commissioners stressed
Tuesday that CCA should be held accountable to their agreement to
construct the current expansion project at the U.S. 231 jail annex. "We
need to hold the money until we're sure they have fulfilled all their
responsibilities," said Commissioner George Gainer. County Attorney
Terrell Arline said such things are being handled. The county, he said,
also will be requesting CCA further explain its exit. "One of our
intentions is to have them explain, in writing, how they were not able
to fulfill their obligations," Arline said.
June 8, 2008 News-Herald
Originally, Sheriff Frank McKeithen was reluctant to run Bay
County's jail system. But in an interview last week, McKeithen was armed
with ideas and plans for changes at the local jail. McKeithen stressed,
however, that he does not have the job yet. The Bay County Commission
will meet June 17 and is expected to vote on McKeithen's proposal to run
the jail, taking over the job from the private Corrections Corporation
of America, or CCA. During their last meeting, commissioners supported
the idea. "It's not going to be easy," McKeithen said. "Every day will
be a work in progress. We can't get complacent." If commissioners
approve him for the job, McKeithen would send every jail employee an
information packet that will let them know where they stand, he said.
Nearly 300 people work at two local jail facilities, one downtown and
the other at the jail annex near Bayou George, which is being expanded
and eventually will replace the downtown facility. "We're not going to
leave them hanging," McKeithen said. "Everybody there will have an
opportunity to retain their jobs." As long as current employees are
properly qualified, they most likely would keep their jobs, McKeithen
added. However, every employee also would have to fill out an
application and go through the application process, he said. "I have
confidence in the people that are there, and they are going to be
there," McKeithen said. He said it was too early too say how employees
at the jail would be structured and managed, but he did talk about the
need to streamline the two organizations. Jail employees would be part
of the "family" that makes up the Sheriff's Office, McKeithen said. In
his budget, McKeithen has approved a raise for the starting salary of
jail employees from about $26,000 a year to $30,000 a year. New ideas --
The sheriff has several new ideas about how things should be run. To
start, he said, jail officials would implement an inmate management
system that would give corrections officials a "better handle on these
prisoners." McKeithen mentioned that in the past, some inmates were kept
in jail past their release dates. In November, nine inmates were
released from the jail before their release dates and had to return.
McKeithen said the new inmate management system would work closely with
courthouse officials to ensure these kinds of incidents don't happen.
McKeithen also said he wants a Web site that would let the public know
inmate status, visiting hours and other important information. The
sheriff also expressed concern for the treatment of inmates' relatives.
"We want to better train our staff in customer service," McKeithen said.
Parents, siblings and others who visit an inmate must be treated with
courtesy and respect, he added. "It's already a stressful visit,"
McKeithen said. "A county jail is accountable to the citizens of that
county." Work-release programs and other possibilities also were on
McKeithen's mind last week. These things, done right, could "save the
taxpayer money," he said. The money -- Last month, Nashville-based CCA,
which has run Bay County's jail operations for more than 20 years, told
county officials they were leaving town. Although they had signed a
contract, CCA officials said could not run the jail for the planned cost
of $43.34 per inmate, per day and were leaving the county Oct. 1.
According to information provided by Bay County officials, Charlotte
County pays $76.29 per inmate per day. Indian River County pays $75 per
inmate per day, while Santa Rosa pays $49 per inmate per day.
McKeithen's proposal breaks down to $50.79 per inmate, per day, for a
total of $17.9 million. McKeithen asked Rick Anglin, Bay County's
liaison to CCA and contract monitor, to investigate the needs and come
up with his budget proposal. Much of Anglin's job involved overseeing
CCA and ensuring the company followed its contract. The sheriff said it
was important to have someone outside the Sheriff's Office do the
initial budget. Anglin investigated CCA's budget and the budgets of
several jails across the state before writing the new budget, he said.
Anglin and McKeithen estimate they would pay $13.5 million for salaries
and benefits; $1.3 for medical supplies, pharmacy needs and hospital
services; $115,000 for mental health services; $956,230 for food
services; and $53,160 for uniforms, security equipment and ammo.
McKeithen pointed out the food contract breaks down to 93 cents per
meal. "There's no fat built into that budget," Anglin said. New jail --
If McKeithen takes over Oct. 1, he would inherit the jail facilities at
the U.S. 231 annex site, which eventually will serve as the area's only
jail. Good riddance, he said. "That is a monster," he said of the
downtown jail, adding that many of the safety and security problems jail
officials have dealt with over the years were caused by the dilapidated
building. But when CCA leaves, it also might take with it computers,
desks and other equipment the company purchased. The county would have
to replace that, McKeithen said. The furnishings and equipment in the
new buildings will stay, McKeithen said. "It does appear to be a
state-of-the-art facility," he added. That facility is part of a
residential neighborhood, something McKeithen is taking into account.
Inmates will only be released from the U.S. 231 site if they have a ride
or a cab. If they do not, they will be taken to the courthouse and
released from an office there, McKeithen said. This will keep former
inmates from walking through a residential neighborhood and place them
closer to Bay County's bus station, rescue mission and other services
they might need, he added. Though he might have been reluctant at first,
McKeithen seemed to be looking forward to the new situation. "I'm to the
point were I'm ready for the challenge," he said. "I want this to be the
best jail in the state of Florida."
June 6, 2008 News-Herald
If it's true that you get what you pay for, then Bay County should
receive moderately better operation of its jail with Sheriff Frank
McKeithen in charge. County commissioners indicated Tuesday that they
plan to hire the Sheriff's Office to run the jail and replace
Corrections Corporation of America, a Tennessee-based company that has
contracted to do the job for the last 23 years. CCA informed the county
last month that it was seeking a divorce, citing irreconcilable
financial differences: Officials said they couldn't provide adequate
service for what the county was paying them. Enter McKeithen, who
previously had expressed a willingness to assume responsibility for the
jail but told commissioners up front that it would cost them more.
Tuesday, he laid out the numbers: Whereas CCA had been charging the
county $46.18 per inmate per day (which was scheduled to drop to $43.34
when the new jail annex opens this fall), the Sheriff's Office said it
would charge $50.79 - or about $18 million a year, $3 million more than
CCA. Saving money was costing the county numerous headaches. Under CCA's
direction, the jail had experienced several embarrassing - and sometimes
dangerous - incidents in recent years, often resulting from staff
failures. How much of that was due to low salaries and how much to CCA's
training and oversight? We should find out the answer soon enough.
Either way, the jail needed a fresh start. The question is, should the
county have spent more time looking elsewhere before settling on the
sheriff? Why not re-bid the contract and see if it could get a better
deal for taxpayers? The answer is that it probably would have been a
waste of time. First of all, there aren't that many companies that run
jails. Indeed, the last time the county bid the work, only one other
company competed with CCA. Out of Florida's 67 counties, only three -
Bay, Citrus and Hernando - contract out their jail operations, and Bay
has by far the cheapest per diem rate. Eight county jails are run by
county commissions, and the remaining 56 are operated by the sheriffs.
According to Bay County staff research, most of the counties with inmate
populations comparable to Bay's pay a higher per diem than McKeithen's
estimate. One advantage to turning the jail over to the sheriff is that
if issues arise, the county can deal directly with a local official it
knows well, instead of some corporate bureaucracy. Furthermore, that
official is elected, which means he has to answer to the public for the
jail's performance. Commissioners still must keep a close eye on the
bottom line, and that means watching out for unintended expenses that
might crop up that would significantly boost McKeithen's per diem
estimate. For instance, according to the terms of the CCA contract, any
equipment purchased after 2006 belongs to CCA. If the company takes that
stuff with it when it leaves, how much will it cost to replace it?
McKeithen says it might take a year to determine exactly what it will
cost to run the jail. He deserves an opportunity to demonstrate it will
be money well spent.
June 3, 2008 News-Herald
Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen informed county officials Tuesday
he could take over jail operations for just less than $18 million a
year. "I haven't sugar-coated these numbers; these are real," McKeithen
told county commissioners during their regular meeting. "With all due
respect, this will be my only proposal. I'm not going to compete with
anyone." The cost estimate, breaking down to $50.79 per inmate, per day,
is higher than the current $46.18 charged by Corrections Corporation of
America. The company is walking away from the jail in October, shy of a
contract-stipulated drop to $43.34 upon the completion of the jail
expansion project at the annex property off U.S. 231. McKeithen said the
higher quote primarily was because county employees require a more
competitive salary and benefits. "It's a little higher rate," conceded
Bay County Commission Chairman Jerry Girvin, "but let's face it; a lot
of the problems have been because of the salary." The board was
unanimously receptive to the sheriff's projections. Legal counsel,
however, advised that a formal ordinance declaring such would need to be
written up for the June 17 county meeting and approved. "I think what
we're saying, sheriff ... you'll have a new hat to wear," Girvin said.
McKeithen stressed his numbers were only estimates. The per diem rate
also assumes a minimum of 963 jail beds is filled. "It would take a year
to realize exactly what it's going to cost out there," he said.
Officials have budgeted $16.8 million in jail costs for the 2008 fiscal
year, which ends Sept. 30, according to Bay County spokeswoman Valerie
Lovett. Of that amount, $16.2 million would be paid to CCA to cover the
per diem expenses; the other $600,000 would cover costs, such as
building maintenance, that are not in CCA's contract, Lovett said. Had
CCA continued its contract another year at the lower per diem rate, the
county would have paid $15.2 million to CCA for Fiscal Year 2009, and
the overall cost would have been $15.8 million. Commissioner Bill Dozier
said the sheriff's numbers seemed right, as opposed to CCA's $43. When
alerting the county to their planned departure, company officials cited
inadequate finances. "This is realistic," Dozier said. "That was
unrealistic." If the ordinance is approved at the commission's next
meeting, McKeithen will not take over the facility until CCA's October
exit.
June 3, 2008 WMBB
Running the Bay County jail is not the most glamorous of jobs, but
Sheriff Frank McKeithen has offered to take on the task to the delight
of the Bay County Commission. At Tuesday's regular Commission meeting
McKeithen made clear that he could not garuntee there would be no
problems under his watch. "I'm not going to tell you there will never be
a hostage situation or jail break or issues in jail but I will tell you
that there will be far less than what CCA has had to deal with in that
facility downtown," said McKeithen. Last month Bay County expressed
disappointment that Corrections Corporation of America would not run the
new jail at a rate of $43 a day per prisoner, but Tuesday they said
McKeithen's offer of $50 per prisoner a day was reasonable. "We have
looked at jails all over the state of Florida and the typical per day
jail rate is $54 to $64 throughout the state," said Chairman Jerry
Girvin. The Sheriff estimates that the total budget for the year will be
around $17.8 million- that's an increase of one million after CCA
leaves- and McKeithen says that money is largely due to raises for
personnel. "There is a possibility that if this amount of money is given
that we may have money left over. There's a possibility that we may have
to ask you for more money," McKeithen said. Commissioners say choosing
the Sheriff over another private contractor is the most preferable of
options. "This is not a knee jerk reaction. This is something that
everyone of us has taken time with, everyone of us, the sheriff, and our
staff," said Commissioner Mike Thomas. County Attorneys will draft an
ordinance in the coming weeks to be considered in a public hearing at
it's next meeting on June 17th.
May 27, 2008 News-Herald
Bay County commissioners on Tuesday unanimously rejected an offer by
Emerald Correctional Management to drop its lawsuit against the county
in exchange for the keys to its jails. The offer was passed on to the
board by County Attorney Terrel Arline. "Can we laugh first?" asked
Commissioner Mike Thomas. Emerald Correctional Management filed suit
against the county in 2006, claiming the bidding process for the
construction of the new jail off U.S. 231 was flawed. Arline said he
recommended the offer be rejected, but was obligated to inform the
commission about what was being put on the table. "Would ‘Hell no' be
appropriate?" Commissioner George Gainer said. "I was gonna use those
terms," Arline replied, "but I bit my tongue." Although Emerald
Correctional was the original low bidder on the project, after some bid
clarifications, the job was awarded to the only other responding party,
Corrections Corporation of America. The Tennessee-based CCA currently is
constructing the new county jail but recently notified the county it
would be pulling out of its contract Oct. 1 because of financial
concerns. Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen is researching how much it
would cost his office to take over the facility. He has told
commissioners it would be more than what CCA is charging: $46.18 per
inmate, per day. Upon completion of the new jail expansion, the rate was
expected to drop to about $43. Commissioners approved an agreement
Tuesday with Tyndall Air Force Base to house Air Force pre-trial
detainees at the current Bay County Jail. Thomas stipulated that any
per-inmate costs agreement would need to jibe with future decisions
regarding management of the jail once CCA departs.
May 21, 2008 News-Herald
A Bay County Jail captain has been placed on administrative leave after
a weekend traffic crash. Capt. Stacy C. Blakeney, 36, was driving an
estimated 80 mph in a 35 mph zone on Beach Drive when he rolled his
vehicle late Sun-day, according to a Panama City Police Department crash
report. Police said Blakeney was driving west near Buena Vista
Boule-vard about 11:30 p.m., and his vehicle drifted off the road. His
2003 Chevrolet struck a power pole and began to spin. The vehicle
crossed the front yard of a home, crashed through a row of shrubs, hit
two trees and flipped, landing on its top in the next yard. Blakeney was
not seriously injured, police reported. Police estimated damage to the
vehicle at $15,000, to the power pole at $3,000 and to landscaping at
$2,000. Criminal charges are pending the results of a blood-alcohol
test, police reported. Joe Ponte, warden of the Bay County Jail, said
Blakeney declined to speak to supervisors about the circumstances of the
crash. With criminal charges pending, he cannot be com-pelled to make a
statement, Ponte said. Blakeney works at the downtown jail, according to
Ponte.
May 14, 2008 News-Herald
It takes millions of dollars a year to run the Bay County jail but
now that Corrections Corporation of America is leaving town, the County
Commission worries it could cost a tremendous amount more. Bay County
went to a lot of effort to try to save money on the construction on a
$40 million facility including a lawsuit from a company bidding on the
project. In the end the County went with Corrections Corporation of
America. "The fact that they designed it around their ability to run it,
that was supposed to be a savings for everybody," said Commissioner
George Gainer on Wednesday. At Tuesday's County Commission meeting,
Commissioners announced that CCA planned to leave the new jail in
October. CCA and the County signed a 6 year contract in 2006. The terms
of the contract say the company would be responsible for building the
new jail to be completed by August. After the jail was complete, the
County's rate per prisoner per day was supposed to drop from $46 dollars
to $43 a day in 2009. "My problem is they're not sticking around long
enough for Bay County to realize if the design is one that is going to
save us money. If it's what we paid for," said Gainer. While the County
has a number of options for running the new facility, Gainer says he
thinks each one would be more expensive than CCA. He hopes the
commission will address his concerns at a workshop on Friday. "This
whole process was entered into because of the savings on the per diem. I
think we're paying $43 a day now and if we've got to pay $56 at this
facility- I think that $13 a day is the basis of a tremendous lawsuit
back against CCA," said Gainer. CCA's official reason for leaving the
county was that wages and benefits for staff could not be covered with
the rate worked out with Bay County. County Commissioners will weigh
three options at a special workshop Friday including running the jail
themselves as a County Department, asking Sheriff Frank McKeithen to
step in, or hiring another private contractor to run the jail.
May 13, 2008 News-Herald
Corrections Corporation of America, or CCA, let the county know late
Monday that it would be abandoning its local operations in 150 days, or
Oct. 1. “Where our path will take us, we don’t know,” Bay County
Commission Chairman Jerry Girvin said of the question left in CCA’s
wake. “It’s been a long-term relationship, but it’s probably one that’s
run its course, and it’s time to go separate directions.” During the
commission’s meeting Tuesday, the board briefly discussed the
last-minute news before scheduling a workshop for 2 p.m. Friday at
Panama City City Hall to further explore the county’s options. Girvin
said the two most probable options would be to either run the jail as a
county department or turn operations over to the Bay County Sheriff’s
Office. “Really, in most of the counties in Florida, the sheriff does
run the jail,” Girvin said Tuesday afternoon. CCA, which has operated
the area’s jails for more than 20 years, cited financial concerns as the
reason for pulling out of Bay County. Spokeswoman Louise Grant said the
Tennessee-based company could not continue to pay the competitive wages
needed to “retain the brightest and the best staff.” Locally, CCA
employs almost 290 people. Warden Joe Ponte said the average jail
employee makes about $28,000. CCA entered into a new contract with Bay
County in 2006 that stipulated a per-inmate rate of $46.18 per day. Last
year, the company was paid $15.8 million. The six-year contract also
called for the company to expand on the facilities at the U.S. 231 annex
site, which will serve as the area’s only jail once the downtown
location is closed. County officials said the work should be complete
before CCA’s October departure. Ponte said his staff has been made aware
of the situation. “As it starts to sink in, people are asking questions:
‘Who’s going to run it?’” Ponte said. “We don’t have any answers to that
stuff.” The possibility of running local jails is not a new concept to
the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. Department officials have suspected
this day might arrive and have assessed if such a venture would be a
viable option. “We’ve heard these rumors here, lately,” Major J.B.
Holloway said of CCA’s exit, sounding confident about Sheriff Frank
McKeithen’s prospects of running such an operation. “The sheriff has run
a jail on a small scale,” Holloway said, referring to his boss’s stint
heading up a Gulf County facility when McKeithen was the sheriff there.
“I feel certain he could do it here.” Regardless of what Bay County
officials decide to do when CCA leaves, Ponte hopes the people currently
staffing the facilities will be included in the plans. “This is a jail,
it’s going to be run as a jail, and they’re going to need people to run
it,” he said, adding that CCA also is offering to relocate some
employees to other prison operations but that “a lot of people don’t
want to move.” Holloway said it would be “premature” to discuss possible
costs of running Bay County’s operations, but the Sheriff’s Office
previously stated it might not be able to match CCA’s price. Girvin
hinted the county might be open to paying more. That would depend on
many things,” Girvin said. “How much more? What kind of bang are we
getting for our buck?” CCA problems -- At times, officials have
indicated CCA’s bang for the buck has not been sufficient. Since first
beginning work in Bay County in October 1985, the private correctional
company has weathered a number of storms that caused local officials
concern. Last November, CCA released nine inmates early by accident. In
June 2007, an inmate fashioned a plastic utensil into a lock-pick and
briefly broke out of his cell. In 2005, a CCA nurse was fired after an
inmate gave birth inside the jail annex four hours after complaining of
labor pains. Another nurse, as well as a supervisor, was fired for
having sex with an inmate. In 2004, a nurse was shot in a hostage
standoff after inmates escaped from their cells. CCA said such instances
were not a factor in the decision to leave town. “No, operations did not
play a role in this at all,” said Grant, stressing CCA’s financial
concerns. “Nothing else played into that.” Recently, county officials
have made strong statements directed at CCA in regard to the company’s
mishaps. “They’re going to run it right, or we’ll get somebody who will
run it right,” said County Commissioner Mike Nelson, following the
accidental inmate release last fall. Girvin said that although CCA’s
notice was not expected, it is an issue county officials are ready to
address. “While we’re not totally delighted with the concept,” Girvin
said, “it’s now in our lap and we’ll deal with it.”
May 13, 2008 WJHG
Corrections Corporation of America, C-C-A, the private company which
has operated the Bay County Jail since 1985, says it has had enough and
is cancelling its contract effect October first. C-C-A made the
disclosure in a letter to the Bay County Commission revealed this
morning. Reason for the termination was not disclosed. The company said
it was exercising its 150 day option spelled out in it 2006 contract
with Bay County. The county commission has scheduled a special meeting
for Friday7 afternoon to discuss several options, two of which include
having the Sheriff take back operations of the jail, or the commission
operating the jail itself. Would the Sheriff be interested? A spokesman
for Sheriff Frank McKeithen said this morning he would not have any
comment on the C-C-A issue until he meets with the county commission
Friday. Meanwhile, work continues on the building of the new Bay County
jail in Bayou George. CCA will finish building it before its contract
expires.
November 21, 2007 News Herald
Bay County commissioners sent a clear message Tuesday to Corrections
Corporation of America: Shape up or ship out, and pay $140,000. “We need
to go aggressively at them,” Commissioner Mike Nelson said. “We’re gonna
have to get it across to the folks up in Tennessee that we take this
very seriously.” Nashville-based CCA runs the Bay County Jail and Jail
Annex. On Nov. 1, the company mistakenly released nine inmates early
from a substance abuse program. All the inmates voluntarily returned
within a week. A county report released Nov. 13 listed a number of
chinks in CCA’s armor. Primarily, the report cited poor judgment on the
part of jail staff as the biggest reason for the oversight. “This is a
jail, and it needs to be run like one,” Nelson said. “It shouldn’t have
happened; I don’t want it to ever happen again.” In addition to
corrective measures, such as notifying the county within 30 minutes of
an incident and creating new booking and classification procedures,
commissioners also are fining CCA $140,000 for the inmates’ release. The
contract with the corporation stipulates financial penalties may be
levied in such cases, and will be taken out of the county’s monthly
payments to CCA. The agenda for Tuesday’s County Commission meeting did
not list the jail issue. It came up during the commissioner comments
section of the meeting. No one from CCA spoke during the meeting. The
company is conducting its own investigation into the inmates’ release.
County officials signed a six-year contract in May 2006 for CCA to run
the facility and build a $39.7 million annex. As a condition of that
contract, the county may break the relationship within 90 days without
cause, or within 30 days with cause. “When we were redoing our contract
we said, ‘new ballgame,’” Commission Chairman Jerry Girvin noted. Nelson
said CCA’s frequent lapses might merit exploring other options. “What
concerns me is what else is going on out there that we don’t know
about,” Nelson said. “I don’t want to see the county get into the jail
business … but the sheriff may have to.” Girvin directed county staff to
begin considering other options. He advised that such a consideration
would be in its infancy, and staffers should “not go 24/7 on it” in the
hopes CCA will begin tightening up its operation.
November 20, 2007 WJHG
Bay County wants to fine the Corrections Corporation of America $140,000
for mistakenly releasing 10 inmates from the Bay County Jail earlier
this month. The fine stems from an incident that happened on November 1.
CCA worker released ten inmates enrolled in a drug rehab program, before
they'd completed their sentences. All of the inmates surrendered after
CCA discovered the mistake and notified them. A review by the county
contract monitor cited poor staff judgment, broad booking procedures,
inadequate staffing, and a seven-hour delay between the time the
incident occurred and the time it the contract monitor was notified.
County commissioners say the penalty is justified because the release
violated the contract the county has with CCA to operate the county jail
system. The contract provides for the fine, based on the $1.4 million
monthly amount the county pays CCA to house inmates. The fine is one
percent of the monthly invoice, for each inmate released. Commissioners
say the incident is unacceptable. Mike Nelson, Bay County Commissioner,
"What I'm really upset about is there was a seven hour delay before
anyone at our place was ever notified, and what concerns me even more is
what else is going on our there that we don't even know about?"
Commissioner Nelson says the county will have to watch CCA closer in the
future. The board discussed other options including the termination of
CCA's contract, but did not take any action.
November 14, 2007 News-Herald
Someone with Corrections Corporation of America should have noticed nine
inmates were being freed early from the Bay County Jail on Nov. 1,
according to a county report released Tuesday. “That kind of
carelessness is something we can’t have,” said Bay County Commissioner
Mike Nelson. “I mean, they’re running a jail.” Employees of the
Tennessee-based company that operates the jail and jail annex for the
county mistakenly released the inmates who were part of the facility’s
Lifeline Substance Abuse Program. All nine inmates voluntarily returned
within a week. Warden Joseph Ponte said last week that CCA staff members
mistakenly released the individuals because their graduation
certificates were printed early by a staff member and misinterpreted by
other staff members. The documents had the correct release date for the
inmates, but staff members overlooked it, Ponte said. The county report
found there were numerous times at which CCA employees should have
caught the mistake. At the very least, suspicions should have been
raised when the inmates themselves voiced concern, the report stated.
“Apparently, the staff they were telling thought it was someone else’s
responsibility,” said Rick Anglin, the county’s contract monitor who
interviewed CCA staff and inmates while preparing the report. Anglin
said if he had to pick one reason for the mishap, it would be staffing.
Three key staffers in the classification department were absent the day
of the incident. Another CCA shortfall mentioned in the report concerned
a seven-hour delay between the realization something had gone wrong and
notification of the county. Nelson said Ponte has yet to call the county
manager to discuss the matter. The report lists several corrective
actions to be taken. Primarily, the county liaison must be made aware of
an “unusual incident” within 30 minutes. New, clearly defined booking
and classification procedures also are called for. The county’s contract
allows for financial penalties when such an incident occurs. Nelson said
county attorneys are pursuing that course. CCA began its own
investigation into the matter the day it happened, Ponte said. That
investigation should wrap up within two weeks. Nelson said the incident
has shown the county needs to keep a closer watch over the corrections
company. “We’re gonna have to tighten up on them,” the commissioner
said. “They’re gonna run it right, or we’ll get somebody that will run
it right.”
November 5, 2007 WMBB TV13
An investigation is underway at the Bay County Jail Annex after an
incident that Chairman Commissioner Mike Nelson calls inexcusable. Nine
inmate's were released from the jail prior to the completion of their
count-ordered drug program and then told to come back. Thursday evening,
The Bay County Jail Annex released nine inmate's in the facilities
lifeline substance abuse program, which is a 120 day program. All nine
offenders, five males, and four females were being housed for
misdemeanors charges and were expected to complete the program within
the next few weeks. Eight of the offenders voluntarily returned to the
program. The ninth offender, whose residence is out of the state, is in
the process of being notified. "The county is going to put every effort
to find out how this happened and make sure it never happens again,"
said Nelson. Warden Ponte said the mistake happened when inmate’s
completion certificates were printed early. "I apologize, this shouldn't
have happened. We are doing everything we can to prevent this from
happening in the future," said Ponte. The Bay County Jail is managed by
Corrections Corporation of America and hope to have the investigation
completed in the next couple weeks.
September 27, 2007 News-Herald
Emerald Correctional Management LLC has taken a step back from the $13.2
million it sought from Bay County — a considerable step. The Louisiana
company, which argues it was slighted during the bidding process in 2005
for the county’s jail expansion project, now is seeking $514,050 to
settle a lawsuit. Obed Dorceus, attorney for Emerald Correctional, said
the reduction doesn’t reflect a loss of resolve. “My client wanted to
make sure the county knew he was willing to compromise,” Dorceus said.
“But we still believe in the case.” The county has not accepted the
settlement offer. Instead, it is requesting Emerald Correctional pay
$35,000 in legal fees and drop the case. W.C. Henry, who represents the
county, called the original $13.2 million “ridiculous, absurd; you’ve
got to be kidding me.” The most recent offer is “still blatantly
absurd.” Emerald first brought suit against the county in 2006. The
company claimed the county’s bidding process was tainted. Only two
companies responded to the call for bids on the project; Emerald’s came
in a few million dollars below Tennessee-based CCA. CCA, however, was
awarded the job after both companies were asked to clarify their bids.
The company had a 20-year history working with the county. The contract
Bay County awarded CCA was for six years and more than $36 million, and
covers the demolition of the downtown jail, the expansion of the jail
annex and management of the completed facility. Ground has been broken
on the annex, with an expected completion date of May 2008. Emerald sued
the county, alleging it didn’t adhere to bidding rules. Bay County
Circuit Judge Glenn Hess dismissed the six-pronged complaint. In May, an
appellate court overturned two of Hess’ dismissals. Henry said the
entire case has stalled to some degree because Emerald has not filed a
new complaint after withdrawing the initial suit and focusing on the two
remaining issues. “We’ve kind of been working in limbo,” Henry said.
“Right now, there is no complaint. It’s kind of weird; this is very
strange.” Dorceus said he plans to file a new complaint soon.
Depositions are planned for Oct. 10. Several county employees, as well
as Commissioner Mike Thomas, will be deposed via video. Henry said the
$35,000 legal fees offer is good until Monday. He said it would spare
everyone the costs of a courtroom. “We’re gonna win, and we’re gonna win
big in the end,” he said. “If they see the light and realize they’re
going to lose, we could save the costs.”
August 21, 2007 News-Herald
Seven suspected illegal immigrants were arrested Tuesday at a county
work site. Bay County sheriff’s deputies made the arrests Tuesday at the
county courthouse. The men were employed by BCL Contractors to work on
the new sally port project, according to a Sheriff’s Office news
release. Deputies said they checked the employment records of the
workers and found the men had used stolen Social Security numbers. Each
of the workers was charged with criminal use of personal identification
information. The arrests could be a problem for county officials. The
Bay County Commission unanimously passed a resolution in March that
would allow commissioners to break contracts with companies that hired
illegal workers. The resolution provided the option of banning those
companies from seeking county contracts for at least a year. County
spokeswoman Valerie Lovett said Tuesday evening that the suspected
illegals were working on a project overseen by CCA, the company that
runs the county jail. “At this point, we don’t have the details,” Lovett
said. “We will be having a conversation with CCA to find out what
happened.”
June 21, 2007 News Herald
Bay County Jail officials still are trying to figure out how a
murder suspect escaped from his cell Monday night. Hermon Harmon, who
faces the death penalty if convicted of murder in the February shooting
death of Jeff Gillman, picked the lock on the door of his maximum
security cell at the Bay County Jail Annex on Nehi Road, using shaved
plastic eating utensils, according to an arrest affidavit. Plastic
utensils were found in Harmon’s cell, but Warden Joe Ponte said that is
normal. “We give them (inmates) plastic utensils with every meal,” he
said. Ponte said jail maintenance workers took the lock apart Tuesday
and said it was working fine. Ponte asked the lock’s manufacture, Brinks
Lock Company, to send someone to examine the lock. “We want to make sure
we didn’t miss anything,” he said, “and to make sure the locks are
working properly.” An internal investigation is ongoing, and Ponte said
it should be completed early next week. After Harmon was captured Monday
night, officials checked the other locks in the segregation pod at the
annex. Only one lock was found to be defective, and it has been fixed,
Ponte said. Ponte began his term as warden in January, and he said that
prior to his arrival, the locks had a tendency to be broken easily. If
the inmates slammed the door shut when the bolt was extended, it would
damage the internal lock mechanism, Ponte said. Inmates also could stuff
anything in their cell into the locks and that could short out the
electronics, allowing the cell door to open.
June 19, 2007 WMBB TV
In a closed executive session Tuesday, Emerald Correctional
Management asked for $13m. Emerald says the county violated its own
bidding process by awarding the new county jail contract to Corrections
Corporation of America. Shortly after the February bid award, Emerald
filed suit but the case was dismissed. Emerald appealed the decision and
won the right for the case to be reviewed again. Bay County Commission
Chairman Mike Nelson said earlier the Commission would likely not
approve the settlement. Emerald has threatened to sue if they aren't
granted the $13m.
June 20, 2007 News Herald
A man charged with murder broke out of his maximum-security cell
Monday night, using plastic eating utensils to pick the lock, according
to an arrest affidavit. Herman Harmon, 45, escaped about 9 p.m. from
cell number 8 in a maximum-security pod at the Bay County Jail Annex on
Nehi Road, said Warden Joe Ponte. It’s not clear how Harmon, who is
charged with first-degree murder in the Feb. 26 shooting death of Jeff
Gillman, picked the lock on his cell. He faces additional charges after
officers eventually apprehended him. Ponte said the cell’s lock was
working properly and an internal investigation is under way. Ponte said
he isn’t sure how Harmon got out of his cell and didn’t want to
speculate until the investigation is completed. Once out of his cell,
Harmon entered the common area of the jail, then left the pod through a
sliding metal door, which might have been open, Ponte said. The warden
said he’s also heard a few versions from inmates and corrections
officers on how Harmon got out of the pod. The pod doors have a defect
that allows them to be opened if someone forcibly pushes it, but it
makes a lot of noise. The warden said that all the pod doors are due to
be replaced. Outside of the pod, Harmon accessed a small, open post,
where he grabbed correctional officer Beverly Brennen by the neck and
demanded her portable radio, the affidavit stated. Brennen and Harmon
wrestled briefly and Brennen was able to call for help, Ponte said.
Harmon eventually got the radio and tried to have the control section
open the door leading to the exercise yard, but it was too late. A
responding officer captured Harmon in the hallway just outside of his
pod, Ponte said. Harmon has been charged with battery on a correctional
officer, attempted escape, depriving an officer with means of
communication and possession of contraband in a detention facility,
according to court records. Judge Thomas F. Welch ordered Harmon held on
an $85,000 bond. Officers found a garrote, which was made out of string,
Ponte said. But Ponte doubted the garrote was intended to hurt someone.
“It was found in his cell,” he said. “So if he wanted to do harm, he
would have taken it with him.”
June 15, 2007 WMBB TV
Next Tuesday the Bay County Commission will hold an Executive
Session to consider a lawsuit settlement. Emerald Correctional
Management, Inc. filed suit against the County after they say the County
unfairly awarded a contract for the new jail to Corrections Corporation
of America. Emerald Correctional says CCA was allowed to adjust their
bid after it had already been submitted. Now Emerald Correctional is
making an offer to settle for more than $13 million in damages.
June 6, 2007 News Herald
Unsuccessful jail expansion bidder Emerald Correctional Management Inc.
has offered to settle its lawsuit against Bay County for $13.2 million.
The County Commission will meet in executive session June 19 to consider
the offer. County officials hinted Tuesday they were not inclined to pay
any money to the company, which alleges that the county violated state
law and the terms of its own request for proposals when it awarded a
jail expansion and operations contract to Corrections Corporation of
America in February last year. “Why should we pay them anything when we
followed the law?” Commissioner Bill Dozier said. Steve Afeman,
executive vice president of the Shreveport, La.-based Emerald
Correctional Management, said Tuesday $12.7 million is being sought in
damages — money the company would have realized had it been awarded the
six-year contract. The remaining amount pertains to time and money
invested in preparing for the project, including legal fees. The County
Commission opened bidding for a new jail contract in June 2005, which
called for expanding the jail annex on Nehi Road, tearing down the
downtown Bay County Jail and constructing new holding cells connected to
the Bay County Courthouse. Only Emerald and Tennessee-based CCA
responded, with Emerald bidding at $31.8 million and CCA at $38.8
million. Both companies were asked to clarify parts of their proposals,
and the county determined that Emerald’s price would be $35.4 million
and CCA’s would be $36.4 million. CCA had been operating Bay County’s
jails for more than 20 years, and that longevity coupled with a
satisfactory performance weighed on commissioners’ decision to go with
CCA. Circuit Court Judge Glenn Hess in May last year threw out all six
of Emerald’s complaints against the county. Last month, the First
District Court of Appeal ruled that Hess improperly dismissed two of six
complaints and directed him to reconsider them.
May 7, 2007 WMBB TV
An appeals court opinion could lead to a challenge for the Bay County
Commission. Back in June 2005, Bay County Commissioners opened bidding
for a contract to expand the Bay County Jail. Two companies entered
bids. They were Corrections Corporation of America, or CCA, and Emerald
Correction Management, with Emerald entering the lower bid. Both
companies were asked to clarify certain points of their proposals,
resulting in a reduction of cost for CCA. The Commission then entered
into contract negotiations with CCA in December 2005. Emerald filed a
letter in January 2006, formally protesting the negotiations. The County
Manager denied the protest, based on a recommendation from the county
purchasing agent. In February 2006, Emerald filed a six count complaint.
All six counts were dismissed. The opinion from the District Court of
Appeals, First District, agrees with four of the dismissals, but raises
objections to two. One count challenges the county's decision to all CCA
to estimate construction cost that may later inflate. The other count
relates to the county allowing CCA to make certain changes to portion of
their proposal. The opinion now leaves an opening for Emerald to motion
for a rehearing on those counts.
January 17, 2007 News Herald
The final defendant in a 2004 jail standoff was cleared Tuesday for
trial. Kevin Winslett appeared before Circuit Judge Michael Overstreet
for a hearing to determine if Winslett is mentally competent for trial.
Winslett had been at a state mental hospital since December 2005, but
doctors cleared him a month ago to return to Bay County. Tuesday’s
hearing, which is required by law, was little more than a formality
because Winslett’s lawyer, Assistant Public Defender Doug White,
acknowledged he had no evidence to dispute the recent findings. Bay
County Sheriff’s Office investigators said Winslett, Kevin Nix, James
Norton and Matthew Coffin took over the fourth floor of the Bay County
Jail on Sept. 5 and 6, 2004, and held jail nurses hostage. The standoff
ended when deputies stormed the floor and shot one of the men and a
nurse.
January 5, 2007 News-Herald
The state Supreme Court is weighing whether the property a prison sits
on in Bay County is exempt from taxation. Bay County Property Appraiser
Rick Barnett said the court heard the case Thursday. In 2006, the First
District Court of Appeal ruled the land could not be taxed, upholding a
decision by Circuit Court Judge DeDee Costello. She ruled the prison
property is leased through a state department, making it ineligible for
property tax. Because the issue is one being debated across the state,
the appeals court moved the question to the state’s highest court.
Corrections Corporation of America, the company that runs the county
jail, owes about $2.2 million in back taxes, Barnett said.
November 21, 2006 News-Herald
A former jail nurse shot during a hostage situation in 2004 sued
Corrections Corporation of America, Bay County and the Bay County
Sheriff’s Office on Monday. Ann Marie “Amie” Hunt filed suit for loss of
earnings, pain and suffering and medical expenses incurred after
Sheriff’s Office deputies shot her three times Sept. 6, 2004, when
firing at four inmates who had taken control of the Bay County Jail’s
fourth floor. The bullets entered her hip, back and left leg, damaging
bones and vital organs. According to the lawsuit, she has been in
physical rehabilitation since the shooting. “On or about September 6,
2004, several inmates took advantage of known flaws in the security of
the Bay County Jail and upon seizing the opportunity of those security
flaws, the inmates took control over the jail and intentionally took
control over the plaintiff Amie Hunt,” attorney H. Lawrence Perry wrote
in the complaint. Perry said Corrections Corporation of America, the
jail’s Tennessee-based corporate owner, Sheriff’s Office and county,
failed to maintain the electrical door locking system. The takeover
began when one of the inmates got out of a cell that did not lock
properly and freed the others, according to witness testimony at a
criminal trial in this case. Three of the four men involved in the
takeover, Kevin Nix, James Norton and Matthew Coffin were convicted of
false imprisonment. The fourth, alleged ringleader Kevin Winslett, has
not been tried because of mental problems that have kept him in the
state mental hospital. Nix, Norton and Coffin were acquitted of more
serious charges in the incident, but still sentenced to 15 years in
prison for their roles. Perry wrote in the lawsuit that the county,
corporation and Sheriff’s Office were served with notices of intent to
sue in January, but had not responded. He was unavailable for comment at
his office Monday afternoon. Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Ruth Sasser
said Sheriff Frank McKeithen had not received the lawsuit and could not
comment. Hunt testified on Sept. 8, 2005, in the trial of Norton, Nix
and Coffin. “At the very beginning,” she said, choosing her words
carefully, “they were a little nutty. They just wanted to find a way
out. They were as polite as they could be for the situation we were in.”
Then, she said, the inmates broke into the drug storage lockers and
began ingesting narcotics. “They started getting high and that lasted
for several hours,” Hunt said. “Then they started coming down.” She said
the situation was made worse by another dorm of inmates that, while
secured, were still breaking windows and going crazy after getting into
a medication cart. Hunt said Nix told her that those inmates wanted her
and the two other female nurses, but he would protect them. As the night
progressed, she said, Nix became agitated with nurse Glenda Baker’s
praying. Another nurse, Kathy Baucum, said Baker was constantly praying
and also “speaking in tongues.” When it came time to offer a hostage in
return for pizza and cigarettes, Nix insisted Baker go because she was
“freaking him out,” Hunt said. Then Baucum developed a migraine headache
and she was soon exchanged for more pizza and cigarettes. Another
hostage, James Hall, had been the first to be released. That left Hunt
alone with the inmates. The standoff ended, she said, when she was
brought before a barred gate at the end of a hall. Nix, she said, was
standing behind her with a scalpel to her throat. “I don’t know who shot
me,” she said. “He was just a figure, a person standing there, then
boom. I looked down and I got shot. Then boom and I got shot again.” One
bullet shattered her knee, an injury that incapacitated her for months.
But Hunt was able to walk into court and take the witness stand with the
help of a cane.
August 18, 2006 News Herald
An administrative law judge has recommended clearing a former county
attorney, former county manager and current assistant county manager of
alleged ethics violations. Judge Harry Hooper heard arguments in the
case in June against Assistant County Manager Bob Majka, former County
Attorney Nevin Zimmerman and former County Manager Jon Mantay. The
central question was whether the men violated ethics laws regarding
gifts after they took a February 2000 trip to view a Corrections
Corporation of America jail in Tennessee and a publicly run facility in
Arizona. Other county officials were present. CCA, based in Tennessee,
paid for the airfare and lodging of the three men and two former county
commissioners. Zimmerman said during the June 15 hearing that it was
reasonable and beneficial to taxpayers for a third party, such as CCA,
to pay for “fact-finding” trips that county officials take. CCA has
operated Bay County’s jails for 20 years, and the county was negotiating
a new contract with the company at the time of the trip. That parallel
drew the ire of the Florida Police Benevolent Association, which
initiated the ethics complaints in July 2003 and referred the case to
the Florida Ethics Commission. The commission in September 2004 found
probable cause that Mantay, Zimmerman and Majka may have violated gift
laws. In his recommended order, though, Hooper ruled the gifts were not
directed to the three men but to the county, so they were not required
to report the gifts. The attorneys for either party can file
“exceptions” to the recommendation within 15 days, and the Ethics
Commission will review those submissions along with Hooper’s finding
before entering a final order. Ethics Commission attorney Linzie Bogan
said Thursday that he likely would file a response for the commission to
consider. “How I’ll respond will depend on how the judge laid out his
order,” he said, explaining that he just received the order and had not
looked over all of it yet. “I would hope the commission would be open to
persuasion on this issue,” he said. “I still feel there are violations.”
July 20, 2006 News Herald
At least two residents who live near the Bay County Jail Annex on
Nehi Road object to a proposed zoning and land-use change for adjacent
property to allow jail expansion. Shelley and David Hickman, of Nehi
Road, stated in a letter to county officials that they believe approving
a zoning change from agriculture-timberland to public institutional for
14.2 acres will create a wave of construction of other “institutional”
facilities in the area. The Planning Commission will vote on the items
today at its regular meeting, and the County Commission, which has final
say, will consider that recommendation when it takes up the issue in a
couple of weeks. “As I see it, it would mean that there would have to be
lawyer offices to aid inmates, and also do not forget about the need for
bail bond facilities and halfway houses and shelters and other types of
businesses that ‘feed off’ the ‘institution,’” the Hickmans wrote. In an
interview, Shelley Hickman also said she thinks it is a moot point to
consider the zoning and land-use changes now when the county already has
awarded a contract to Corrections Corporation of America for
construction at the annex. CCA officials have said they hope to break
ground by December. Martin Jacobson, planning and zoning division
manager, said the CCA-led construction and zoning and land-use changes
are “independent of each other.” County staff is rec- ommending the
switch to public institutional for the 14.2 acres, he said, with the
condition that use of the property is limited to jail operations. The
Florida Department of Community Affairs has to review the proposed
land-use change, as it does with any property greater than 10 acres.
June 20, 2006 News Herald
On an average day, the Bay County Jail in downtown Panama City is 100 to
150 inmates above capacity. The 30-year-old facility’s design provides
additional daily headaches for jail staff, inmates and defense
attorneys. “There’s a lot of wasted space and there’s not enough space,”
explained Assistant Warden Richard Thore. There are not enough holding
cells, so interview rooms have been converted for backup use. Interviews
are conducted wherever there is room. There is one small room for
booking and taking fingerprints, which slows the inmate admitting
process. And from the jail’s central command post, guards cannot see all
of the 12-cell pods. They must be viewed individually, which
necessitates several jail guards instead of one. “Everything that should
be easy becomes difficult and time-consuming,” including preparing meals
in a kitchen not large enough or designed to accommodate 400 inmates,
Thore said. The kitchen is situated on the second floor of the six-floor
building, so employees have to take extra time to pick up food on a
loading dock and transfer it to the second floor. New facility.
Overcrowding has persisted at both jails for at least the past 10 years,
according to county inmate counts. There are 410 beds at the jail annex
on Nehi Road, but there are about 500 inmates there. Both jails —
operated for the past 20 years by Corrections Corporation of America —
now keep inmates of all security classifications, said Jennifer Taylor,
CCA’s senior director of business development. In January, Panama City
Beach attorney Jeremy Early documented problems he saw at the jail for
his boss, Public Defender Herman Laramore. Assistant Public Defender
Susan Rogers said she forwarded Early’s memo to county officials. One
issue Early identified was lack of space for female inmates, who are
held long-term only at the annex on Nehi Road. In a memo on Jan. 25,
Early stated that he saw at least 20 women in a holding cell at the main
jail who had either pleaded out at first appearance or had been released
on their own recognizance a day or two prior. Early said Judge Elijah
Smiley told him to record their names. “As I started taking their names,
a CCA guard came in and removed some of the women before I could get all
their names … I personally heard one of the CCA guards tell (am inmate)
she was being held because CCA had lost her paperwork.”
June 19, 2006 News Herald
About half of the Bay County jail system’s correctional officers left in
2004 and 28 percent quit last year, making effective and safe operations
tough to achieve, county officials say. High turnover has been a primary
concern of Commissioner Jerry Girvin, a retired captain with the Bay
County Sheriff’s Office, which ran the jail until the county awarded the
original Corrections Corporation of America contract in 1985. Girvin
said the constant hiring of new guards unfamiliar with Bay County’s
jails jeopardizes security. “An experienced correctional officer can
sense the need and circumvent a situation from occurring or minimize the
effect,” he said. Jason Bradley Sims, a 30-year-old who recently was
detained at the main jail on Harmon Avenue for violating his probation
for a battery charge, said fighting among inmates is frequent, partly
because there aren’t enough guards. “I’ve been in at least a dozen
fights in the last two years,” said Sims, who has spent the majority of
his life locked up in Bay County jails and in correctional institutions
elsewhere in the state. Assistant Warden Richard Thore said
understaffing is not leading to more inmates beating one another.
“They’re going to fight whether guards are there or not,” he said. For
an attorney representing an inmate at first appearance, new correctional
guards are sometimes a source of frustration for mistakes made or delays
in bringing inmates to the hearings. Occasionally, Deputy Public
Defender Walter Smith said, guards show up with the wrong inmate because
of similarities in names. Frequent turnover of jail guards, he said,
contributes to complications in the first appearance process. “They
always have new people coming in,” he said of CCA. New jail guards and
the company they work for are not solely responsible for difficulties
during a first appearance, he added. “It’s not all CCA’s fault. It’s the
warrants division; it’s correctional guards calling in sick. …” Turnover
problems locally also rise to the top. The past two wardens of the Bay
County Jail have stayed on the job only six and eight months,
respectively. Kevin Watson took the post in December 2004, relieving
Denny Durbin, who was warden for 19 years. Watson requested a transfer
in August 2005, citing personal reasons. Mark Henry came in as the
replacement, but he departed in March, also citing personal reasons.
Durbin is back as the interim warden until a new warden is found. Former
wardens could not be reached for comment, but Jennifer Taylor, senior
director of business development for CCA, said Watson is still with the
company in Indianapolis. Her explanation for Henry’s departure was that
the job “was a lot more demanding than he thought going into it.” Some
of the reasons for the difficulty in drawing people into corrections
work also account for the frequent departures. Starting salary currently
for guards at Bay County’s jails is $27,296, and some of them decide
several months or a year into the job that they can’t continue to
support themselves or their families with that pay, Thore said. Quitting
after a few months or a year on the job, Durbin said, is not always a
symptom of dissatisfaction with the employer; it may have more to do
with the general evolution of their careers. “Corrections officers are
very mobile and want to try new things,” he said, noting that many
former Bay County guards have ventured to Washington Correctional
Institute in Washington County and other state-operated prisons. Thore
said he believes that the appeal of working for state prisons, which pay
more and are continually being built as Florida’s inmate population
grows, is the main culprit of local turnover. “The state has given (jail
guards) at least two raises in the last year-and-a-half, and that makes
it extra difficult for us to compete,” he said. There are young people
looking for their first job who pick a jail guard position for lack of
decisiveness, Thore said. “The reality of the job hits when we’re
booking 16,000 inmates a year. Sometimes, that creates a little
turnover.” Of the 48 correctional guards in 2005 whose employment at Bay
County’s jails was severed, 21 were voluntary and involved no
misconduct. But jail guards testing positive for drug use, having
unprofessional relationships with inmates and smuggling contraband into
the jail also were to blame for high turnover. The guards committing
these and other offenses — which totaled nine — were fired in 2005 for
violating state moral character standards or violating CCA and county
policies, according to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records.
Ken Kopczynski, a legislative affairs assistant for of the Florida
Police Benevolent Association and vocal CCA opponent, called Bay
County’s turnover outrageous. “How can you properly run a facility when
half of the people don’t have any experience” at that facility? said
Kopczynksi, who is also executive director of Private Corrections
Institute Inc., an organization that opposes privately run correctional
facilities. While the turnover rate at Bay County’s jails is high, it is
tame compared to the departures at some other CCA facilities in Florida.
Hernando County jails, for instance, had a turnover rate of 82 percent
in 2003, 75 percent in 2004 and 69 percent in 2005. Other CCA-run
facilities in Florida had the following turnover rates in 2005: Gadsden
Correctional Institution, 48 percent; Lake City Correctional Facility in
Columbia County, 57 percent; and Citrus County Detention Facility, 28
percent. Turnover at Bay Correctional Institute, the CCA-operated state
prison on Bayline Drive off U.S. 231, was 19 percent. In 2004, turnover
was 36.7 percent. Taylor said the company’s jail staff is “down some
everywhere” at its 63 U.S. facilities, but it is not at a critical
point. “If it was at a critical point, we’d pull people in from other
facilities. “It’s hard to find people to work in a jail,” she added. “We
have to do extra things to attract employees and keep them there.” The
company recently started posting help wanted messages on billboards in
various locations, including Bay County, Taylor said. One on Tyndall
Parkway aimed at military men and women reads: “From Camouflage to
Corrections.” “We’ve found that people coming out of the military make
very good correctional officers,” she said. Targeting military personnel
is not a new focus of CCA’s, but there has been a stronger emphasis on
attaining that demographic in the past year, she added. CCA also has
been filling some vacancies in Bay County with part-time correctional
officers, said CCA spokesman Steve Owen. Until it gets closer to full
staff, the company is operating with mandatory overtime for all
correctional guards, Thore said. Thore said 10 to 15 more guards are
needed to be at normal levels. Currently, about 30 non-certified
officers and 147 certified officers man the two county jails. While jail
guard pay is mid-range compared to what guards at other Florida CCA
facilities make, it’s far from the six digit incomes corporate bigwigs
bring home. The highest-paid executive for CCA, John Ferguson, has a
2006 salary of $700,000 plus a $677,727 bonus, according to filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. But Owen defended the salaries
for jail guards as competitive, especially since about two months ago
the company started paying people attending the three month
certification school the salary of uncertified officers. Certified
jail-guard pay at the Bay County jail and annex has risen almost $2,000
in the past two years, up from $25,475 in 2004. Jackson County
Correctional Facility, which is county-operated, has not approved a
higher pay grade for its new certified guards since 2004; the salary
stands at $23,947. The $20,500 salary at Gadsden County Jail hasn’t
changed since 2003. The sheriff’s office there runs the facility.
Escambia County currently offers certified correctional guards $30,400
at its two detention facilities, and Franklin County Jail jumped its pay
by $3,000 over last year and is now $27,500. The sheriff’s offices in
all three counties run the jails. CCA-run Hernando County Jail upped its
pay for certified guards this year from $28,000 to $32,000.
June 16, 2006 News Herald
Former Bay County Manager Jon Mantay joined a former county attorney and
the current assistant county manager Thursday in defending themselves
against an ethics complaint before an administrative law judge in Panama
City. Two attorneys representing Mantay, former County Attorney Nevin
Zimmerman and Assistant County Attorney Bob Majka sparred with an
attorney for the Florida Commission on Ethics over the legality of a
February 2000 trip the three men took to view a Corrections Corporation
of America jail facility in Tennessee and a publicly run facility in
Arizona. CCA, based in Tennessee, paid for the airfare and lodging of
the three men and two former county commissioners. CCA has operated Bay
County’s jails for 20 years, and the county was negotiating a new
contract with the company during the time of the trip. The Florida
Police Benevolent Association initiated the ethics complaints in July
2003, and the ethics commission in September 2004 found probable cause
that Mantay, Zimmerman and Majka may have violated gift laws. Much of
the attention during Thursday’s hearing before Judge Harry Hooper
focused on Zimmerman and his declaration to county officials that the
trip and payment arrangements were legal. Zimmerman said it was
reasonable and beneficial to taxpayers for a third party, such as CCA,
to pay for “fact-finding” trips that county officials take. “That
(logic) is reflected in our ordinances and regulations — to have
developers pay for permitting based on the time it takes county staff to
process the permits,” he said. The Bay County officials that went to
Tennessee and Arizona, he said, needed to see in person how other
facilities were handling overcrowding and recidivism, which are problems
here. There is local precedent for allowing a company to pay for such
trips, Zimmerman said. In 1997, several county officials traveled to
Vancouver, Canada, and Long Island, N.Y., to view facilities now run by
Montenay Bay LLC. Westinghouse Corp., which wanted another company to
run the Bay County waste-to energy incinerator, paid for that trip.
Ethics commission attorney Linzie Bogan challenged Zimmerman’s
interpretation of Florida statutes on gift laws, and he tried to
discredit Zimmerman for not reviewing ethics cases between 1997 and 2000
related to acceptance of gifts. “It’s not a gift if it’s an expense
related to your employment,” Zimmerman said. Bogan insisted the
definition of gift was clear, but Hooper said the entire statute
governing acceptance of gifts (112.312) is not clear to him. “First you
have to determine if it was to their benefit. … Do people benefit from
looking at a bunch of prisoners?” Hooper said. Majka said during his
testimony that he was unaware CCA paid for his airfare for the trip
until records were being collected at county offices three years later
in connection to the ethics complaint. But he said he learned the
company paid for his lodging while at the hotel. In 2000, Majka was the
emergency services chief and shared responsibility with other officials
in jail oversight. Hooper said not knowing CCA paid for the trip does
not produce a “complete defense” for Majka. The ethics commission,
however, dropped the allegations against former County Commissioners
Carol Atkinson and Danny Sparks because they had no knowledge CCA
covered the expenses. Sparks and former County Commissioner Richard
Stewart have admitted and paid fines for violating gift laws by
accepting a round of golf paid by county financial adviser Gary Askers.
Majka faces the same allegation, but his attorney, Albert Gimbel, said
Thursday that he didn’t know how Majka would plead to that issue. Majka
declined to comment. After Hooper has had sufficient time to review the
facts of the case, he will issue a recommended finding for the ethics
commission to consider. Tallahassee attorney Gary Early, representing
the Bay County officials, said it would be at least two months for
Hooper has a recommendation.
May 23, 2006 News-Herald
Bay Medical Center is seeking payment for the treatment of four
patients who were either furloughed from the Bay County Jail or booked
after their stay. County and Bay Medical will meet at the hospital
Wednesday to discuss the cases that date back as far as 2000. The
meeting was scheduled after a circuit judge — at the county’s request —
ordered that the hospital and the county attempt to resolve the conflict
over payments out of court. Bay Medical filed several lawsuits seeking
payment from the county in 2003. The lawsuits later were consolidated.
Hospital CEO Steve Johnson requested Wednesday’s meeting in a letter May
2 to County Manager Edwin Smith. When prisoners have no means of paying
for hospital treatment, Florida law places responsibility on the county
where the patient was arrested. “We believe that the county cannot avoid
its responsibility by obtaining temporary medical furloughs or by
dropping arrestees off at the hospital before booking them into jail,”
Johnson wrote in his letter to Smith. County correctional program
manager Roger Hagen said the county pays about $350,000 in medical bills
for inmates each year. Payment issues between hospitals and local
governments are common, he said. “The judge is issuing an order. It’s
legal. There’s no question about it,” Hagen said. “We’re trying to
minimize the exposure to the county, but just to have them all the
sudden not be under the jurisdiction of the county, now is that playing
by the rules? It is playing by the legal rules, but it does create an
exposure for Bay Medical.” When very sick individuals are jailed for
minor crimes, Hagen said he has encouraged CCA employees to ask judges
to consider their release. However, Hagen said he was unaware until
Johnson raised the issue that prisoners were being released with a
requirement that they return to the jail after treatment. The jail is
run under contract by Corrections Corporation of America, but the county
pays for patient treatment outside of the jail. However, a new contract
starting in October puts the first $10,000 in medical bills per inmate
on CCA’s tab. “When the new contract goes into effect, CCA is going to
have the exposure up to $10,000,” Hagen said. “I’m sure they’re going to
be highly motivated to encourage the judge to reduce those costs.
Whether the judge goes along with it, I don’t know.”
May 2, 2006 WJHG
A lawsuit challenging the awarding of a contract to build and operate a
new Bay County Jail has been dismissed. Circuit Judge Glen Hess tossed
out the suit filed by Emerald Corrections against the Bay County
Commission and Corrections Corporation of America. The dismissal Monday
clears the way for the county and CCA to continue planning to build a
new county jail adjacent to the jail annex in Bayou George. Emerald had
challenged the awarding of the contract for the project to CCA saying it
wasn't the lowest and best bidder. It’s the second time Judge Hess
dismissed the Emerald Corrections lawsuit.
April 26, 2006 News Herald
Circuit Court Judge Glenn Hess heard arguments Monday in Bay
County’s motion to dismiss a correctional company’s lawsuit accusing the
county of wrongdoing in awarding a contract to Corrections Corporation
of America for jail construction and operation. Hess did not immediately
rule on the motion and offered no comments during the hourlong hearing.
He said he might make a decision this week. County attorney William C.
Henry and counsel for CCA used their time to try to discredit Emerald
Correctional Management LLC’s six-count complaint. Their dominant
argument was that the county acted within its “legislative,
discretionary role” in reviewing and ranking both companies’ responses
to the county’s request for proposals, or RFPs, to build a new jail.
Emerald has alleged that Bay County violated Florida procurement laws,
Sunshine Laws and the RFP terms. On Monday, Henry said Emerald failed to
provide certain facts and meet specific criteria in order to make a
request for injunctive relief to prevent CCA from receiving the
contract. Addressing Emerald’s allegation that the county violated
Sunshine laws, Henry said the plaintiff was not a citizen of Florida and
therefore lacked standing to make that claim. Emerald’s attorney, Obed
Dorceus of Tallahassee, told Hess that “courts must liberally construe”
Florida law to determine whether Emerald has standing to claim there
were Sunshine law violations as an individual rather than on behalf of
the public’s interest. The county wants a 150,000-square-foot addition
to the existing jail annex on Nehi Road, creating 680 new beds in
addition to the existing 410. The RFP also called for the downtown Bay
County Jail to be demolished and for construction of new holding cells
connected to the Bay County Courthouse. Emerald, based in Shreveport,
La., proposed a price of $31.8 million to complete the project, while
CCA’s price was $38.8 million. After the bids were unsealed, the county
clarified the figures to take into account differences in each firm’s
proposals. In the end, the county determined that Emerald’s price is
$35.4 million and CCA’s is $36.4 million. Dorceus has claimed that the
county simply amended the figures to suit Tennessee-based CCA, which
holds a contract to operate the county’s jails through October. But
Henry defended the county’s handling of the jail RFP, saying that local
ordinance “gives a great deal of discretion to deal with the procurement
process.” CCA attorney Cliff Higby’s main point to Hess during the
hearing was that as long as “reasonable people could disagree” on
whether CCA or Emerald had the best proposal, the courts should not
intervene. In February, Hess denied Emerald’s request for an emergency
injunction to prevent the county from signing a contract with CCA.
Neither the contract for construction nor operations and maintenance
have been signed, however.
April 8, 2006 News Herald
Bay Medical Center’s CEO wants the county and local municipalities
to take on greater responsibility for criminals and police suspects who
are treated at the hospital. Steve Johnson has requested a meeting with
Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen and Panama City Police Chief John Van
Etten to discuss the matter. In a letter addressed to McKeithen and Van
Etten on March 27, Johnson complains that the law enforcement agencies
are waiting until injured or sick suspects are discharged from the
hospital to arrest them, leaving the hospital responsible for charges
when patients have no health coverage. Also, Johnson writes, prisoners
are being released from the Bay County Jail for hospital treatment and
picked up by authorities after discharge. “I really don’t see how Bay
Medical can continue to fund this practice,” Johnson said in the letter,
which also was sent to the Bay County and Panama City commissions,
Panama City Mayor Lauren DeGeorge and the hospital’s board of trustees.
Johnson said he plans to schedule the meeting next week. In the event of
injury or illness at the time of or during an arrest, Florida laws puts
responsibility for medical payment first with the patient, then with the
county or municipality where the person was arrested in the event that
the individual does not have medical coverage. Roger Hagen, the county’s
correctional program manager, said Johnson’s concerns are not unique to
Bay County. “It’s an ongoing dilemma — who’s going to pay for this kind
of care,” Hagen said. The same issues Johnson is complaining of are
among the reasons that Gulf Coast Medical Center, the county’s private
hospital, raised rates for prisoners about a year ago, said Wes
Fountain, Gulf Coast’s chief financial officer. “They, being the county
or the Sheriff’s Office, don’t take ownership of these patients at
certain points,” Fountain said. “Some patients, they would have
financial responsibility for.” “And a lot of patients, they would not
have responsibility for and it was unclear to us a lot of time which
ones were it. That was the problem — just kind of understanding it.” An
agreement was signed June 21 making non-profit Bay Medical Center, the
larger or the county’s two hospitals, the primary provider for county
prisoners. Gulf Coast served the same role before the hospital raised
charges. Knowing what had happened with Gulf Coast, Hagen said of Bay
Medical, “They knew the risk of what they were walking into.” Under the
agreement with Bay Medical, hospitalized inmates are treated at a
discounted daily rate of $1,248 with special rates for some services
like cardiac care, Hagen said. Addressing the complaint that prisoners
are being released from custody and dumped on the hospital, Hagen said
he did not know of any instances in which prisoners were released for
hospital care and taken back into custody for the same charges after
their hospital discharge. However, in some cases, Hagen said prisoners
who need hospital care are evaluated to determine whether they really
need to be in jail. For example, Hagen said, if a prisoner were taken to
the hospital with chest pains, the case might be reviewed and if that
individual were in jail for a light offense, such as being intoxicated
in a right of way, jailers might request that a judge release the
individual from custody. “It’s got to be a minor situation before a
judge would go ahead and do something like that,” Hagen said. Bay County
is finalizing a new contract with jail operator Corrections Corporation
of America, and Hagen suggested some of the issues between the county
and the hospital might be resolved when that contract goes into effect
in October. The county has been picking up all medical costs outside the
jail, but the new contract requires that CCA pay the first $10,000 in
charges per inmate. Johnson said there have been informal talks about
the hospital’s |